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Hygroma of the wrist

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
 
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Wrist ganglion cyst is a rather unpleasant disease that causes a lot of inconvenience. Let's consider what ganglion cyst is, the reasons for its appearance, the main symptoms, as well as the most effective methods of treatment and prevention.

Wrist ganglion cyst looks rather unsightly and causes discomfort. It is very difficult to get rid of this disease. People with the tumor experience painful inconvenience and inferiority, which prevent them from doing the most ordinary things. It is very difficult to treat this disease, and it is not always completely curable. More often than not, people with such a disease resort to the help of traditional medicine.

A wrist hygroma is a formation of a synovial sac with a mucous, viscous, serous, cystic content. A hygroma is a benign cystic formation, when palpated, a dense content is felt inside. Please note that a cystic hygroma and a simple hygroma are two identical types of tumors that resemble cystic diseases in their development. The disease is localized on the hand, a capsule is formed inside, which contains a liquid, transparent substance resembling jelly. The causes of its occurrence include injuries, mechanical damage, improperly selected prostheses, and excessive physical activity.

The disease begins with the appearance of a small swelling on the skin, which is often confused with an insect bite or just a bump. Hygroma develops in the joint membranes, and gradually protrudes between the ligaments, squeezing between the tendons. At the initial stage of development, the neoplasm does not cause painful sensations, but when the disease becomes serious, pain and complications occur. In this case, it is impossible to cope with hygroma on your own; qualified medical assistance is required.

In medical practice, there is no clear explanation for why a hygroma appears. Let's look at the main causes of a wrist hygroma. A cyst can appear due to regular physical activity, injuries, hereditary predisposition, or for no apparent reason. The most common diagnosis is a wrist or wrist joint hygroma. People who work a lot with their hands, such as musicians, seamstresses, and secretaries-typists, are most susceptible to this disease. In this case, a cyst appears with frequent bending and unbending of the hand.

A wrist hygroma is a tumor that is associated with a joint, since a synovial bag is formed in the joint, and in it is a fluid that can easily penetrate into the joint cavity. Thus, the neoplasm will disappear for a short time, but then reappear. Sometimes, the cyst acts as an independent disease or as a complication of bursitis or tendovaginitis.

Clinicians identify the following causes of wrist ganglion cysts:

  • Regular increased physical activity.
  • Mechanical damage and injuries.
  • Professional activity that involves frequent, repetitive hand movements.
  • Inflammation of the synovial cavities.

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The first signs of the disease appear as a swelling on the hand. Very often, the first symptoms of a wrist hygroma are confused with some kind of bruise or inflammation from an insect bite. But the swelling does not go away and takes on a rounded shape. If you palpate it, you can feel the liquid component of the cyst. Please note that the neoplasm can remain in the form of a small swelling with liquid inside for many years. Just as unexpectedly as it appeared, the cyst begins to grow and cause a lot of painful sensations. Because of the swelling, it becomes difficult to move the hand and the slightest movement causes severe pain.

Let's look at the main symptoms of wrist ganglion cyst:

  • A dense, round subcutaneous formation, usually near a joint.
  • Sensory disturbances and dull pain in the area of the cyst.
  • Change in skin color over the neoplasm.

In medical practice, there are cases when, as a result of an injury or the peculiarities of the body, a hygroma was opened. In the case of an opening of a tumor on the hand, a huge wound is formed, from which the liquid that was in the neoplasm flows out. The wound oozes for a long time and hurts. If an infection gets into the wound during the opening, this will lead to the chronic appearance of tumors, that is, hygromas throughout the body.

Hygroma of the wrist in a child

A child's wrist hygroma is a benign tumor, round in shape, quite elastic. When palpated, soft contents are felt, that is, liquid. The liquid that fills the cyst has a deep yellow color. This is what allows you to determine a benign tumor. A child's hygroma may appear due to a hereditary predisposition or due to an injury. In any case, the neoplasm must be treated, since an advanced disease can entail a lot of unfavorable consequences.

Treatment of hygroma in young children, that is, up to ten years old, is carried out under anesthesia. In adolescents, treatment is carried out under local anesthesia. The operation itself consists of the following stages. The tumor is disinfected and a small puncture is made in the skin. All the fluid that filled the cyst is removed through the puncture. A cosmetic suture and bandage are applied to the wound. After this procedure, the child can go home. Special threads are used to establish stitches that dissolve as they heal, so the child will not feel any discomfort.

Where does it hurt?

Wrist ganglion cyst is a common disease that occurs in both children and adults. The consequences of wrist ganglion cyst can be very unpredictable. Despite the fact that the ganglion cyst is a benign tumor, it can develop into a chronic disease that will cause a lot of inconvenience and pain, which will ultimately lead to limb atrophy.

The main danger of this type of neoplasm is that if you do not start treating it in time, it can become a chronic disease. This can happen because the infection has entered the blood, and now neoplasms will appear not only on the wrist, but also on other parts of the body. Hygroma has a negative effect on joints and ligaments, so it requires effective and correct medical treatment. If you notice a small lump on your hand, which feels soft when touched, then most likely you have a cyst. Do not delay and seek medical help, this will help avoid serious consequences.

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Diagnosis of a wrist ganglion cyst begins with an examination of the affected tissue area. If there is a round swelling on the wrist, with a soft content felt when palpated, then we are talking about a ganglion cyst. Another important point in diagnosing a ganglion cyst is the patient's complaints. Also, the doctor can prescribe a number of tests that will help confirm or refute the diagnosis.

If a diagnosis of an advanced cyst is being made, which has been bothering the patient for several years and has managed to grow, then an ultrasound examination cannot be avoided. An ultrasound is performed on the affected area and surrounding tissues. It is also possible to perform a diagnosis using X-rays or a puncture with the collection of skin material for histological examination.

What do need to examine?

Who to contact?

Treatment of hygroma should be carried out immediately after diagnosis of the disease. The longer you delay treatment, the more difficult it is to treat the cyst. Treatment of wrist hygroma requires a lot of time and professional work. Since there are cases when the neoplasm is localized close to the joint, ligaments, arteries and nerves. Therefore, it is better not to self-medicate, especially if the disease is in an advanced state.

Surgical medicine is used as a treatment, that is, surgery to remove the hygroma, drug treatment with antibiotics and drugs, and traditional medicine methods that are based on herbs and natural treatment recipes. Let's look at surgical methods for treating hygroma.

  • Puncture of the tumor and drainage of fluid using a needle and absorbable drugs. The method is long and may cause relapses.
  • Surgical removal of hygroma. As a rule, this method of treatment is used to treat tumors in children. The method provides a 100% guarantee that the cyst will not appear again.
  • Crush the neoplasm. This treatment causes the fluid in the tumor to spread throughout the joint cavity. This treatment is very painful and after a certain period of time the hygroma makes itself known again.
  • Using laser therapy to treat hygroma is the most effective and painless method to get rid of the tumor once and for all.

Treatment of wrist hygroma with folk remedies

Treatment of wrist ganglion cysts with folk remedies is recognized as the most accessible and effective. Let's consider the features of treating ganglion cysts with folk medicine methods, as well as the most common treatment recipes.

  • An alcohol compress is good for treating wrist hygroma. For the compress, you will need strong moonshine and gauze. Soak the gauze in alcohol, apply it to the tumor and wrap it in polyethylene. The compress should be changed every two hours. In order to avoid a burn on the skin, it is recommended to dilute the alcohol.
  • A decoction of pine branches effectively helps to cure wrist hygroma. For the decoction, take young pine branches, pour boiling water over them and cook for 20-30 minutes. Based on the resulting decoction, it is recommended to knead the dough and make flat cakes. Warm flat cakes should be applied to the sore spot.
  • A celandine compress helps cure a cyst at the initial stages of development and reduce the size of a large neoplasm. Take 200 grams of fresh celandine, chop it, squeeze out the juice and make a gauze compress. Wrap your wrist in gauze and polyethylene. The procedure is recommended to be carried out every three days.
  • Cabbage leaves can be used to treat wrist hygroma. Take a cabbage leaf, boil it in water, spread it with honey and apply to your hand. Wrap the compress with woolen cloth or a scarf. It is recommended to wear the compress for at least two hours and replace it with a new one. Three days of using this remedy will rid you of the cyst.
  • You will need a glass of warm water and a couple of spoons of sea salt and a glass of dry clay. Dilute the salt and clay in water to get a homogeneous viscous solution. Wrap your wrist with a bandage and repeat the procedure for ten days. Note that the compress must be worn all day, then take a break for a couple of hours and apply it again. After such procedures, the neoplasm will no longer appear.

Surgery for wrist hygroma

Surgery for wrist hygroma is one of the treatment methods for the disease. A hygroma is a benign tumor that occurs on joints and ligaments. A capsule forms near the joint, in which fluid collects. Because of this, the cyst begins to increase in size, causing pain and discomfort.

There are several options for surgery for wrist ganglion cyst, let's look at them.

  • The most painful method of treating hygroma is the method in which they try to crush the tumor. This leads to the capsule with liquid bursting and the tumor going down. But this method does not guarantee that the neoplasm will not make itself known again. Almost 90% of cases of such painful treatment lead to the hygroma appearing again.
  • A less painful surgical method of treating hygroma using puncture. The doctor makes a puncture on the wrist and injects absorbable drugs into the hygroma through a needle. This promotes rapid absorption of the neoplasm. This method provides a high guarantee that the hygroma will not appear again.
  • Another surgical option for treating hygroma is its complete removal. The operation is performed under anesthesia. The doctor cuts the cyst, removes the capsule with liquid, cleans the wound, disinfects it and applies stitches. After such treatment, the process of rehabilitation and recovery begins.

Removal of wrist ganglion

Removal of a wrist ganglion cyst is a surgical method of treating the disease. The operation is a process of cutting the capsule of the neoplasm. Thanks to this, the accumulated fluid is removed from the tumor. To prevent the ganglion cyst from reappearing, the joint is immobilized during the removal. After surgical removal of the ganglion cyst, the wound is sutured, a bandage is applied, and a course of antibiotics is prescribed for a speedy recovery.

In addition to surgical removal of wrist hygroma, there is also a laser removal method. The essence of this method is that the laser affects the neoplasm, but does not affect the tissue. Under the influence of the laser, the cyst is destroyed. The rehabilitation period after such removal is not long, and, as a rule, is a general course of antibiotics, that is, drug therapy.

It is impossible to say unequivocally which method of treating hygroma is better and more effective, since each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the choice of removal method depends on the complexity of the tumor, the patient's age and the doctor's recommendation.

More information of the treatment

Prevention of wrist hygroma is carried out after surgical treatment of the tumor. As a rule, prevention is a course of drug treatment and antibiotics. Prevention of hygroma is measures aimed at preventing the neoplasm from appearing again. During prevention, the possibility of trauma to the affected area is excluded.

To prevent hygroma of the wrist, a plaster cast is applied. The plaster cast is worn for a month. This is necessary to minimize movements in the joint and allow the wound to heal and a scar to form. The possibility of relapse of the disease depends on the quality of preventive measures.

The prognosis of a wrist ganglion cyst depends on the complexity of the disease. If the tumor is just beginning to grow, then the prognosis is positive. Since there is every chance for complete and absolutely safe treatment. In addition, when treating a ganglion cyst at an early stage, there is a high probability that the neoplasm will not appear again.

If the cyst that is being treated is one that has been bothering the patient for years and has grown to the point that it makes hand movements difficult and causes pain, then the prognosis for such a disease is not encouraging. In this case, the operation is performed surgically, and the rehabilitation period can last for several months. In addition, with a negative prognosis for wrist hygroma, there is every chance that the tumor will reappear, since the infection could have spread throughout the body.

Wrist ganglion cyst is a common disease that can occur in any person. Anyone who is active and whose joints are constantly in motion and stress. The cyst is subject to treatment, but it is best to do it when the disease is at an early stage of development and the prognosis for treatment is positive. If you notice a tumor with soft contents inside on your hand, and it causes you discomfort and pain, then this is a wrist ganglion cyst, and it requires immediate treatment.

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