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Ganglion cyst in children: Reviewing treatment and recurrence rates
Tatiana Karine Simon Cypel1, Amir Mrad, Gino Somers
1Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery;
Insights
Pediatric ganglion cysts often occur on the volar wrist and are treated effectively with surgical excision, showing low recurrence rates. This study analyzed 37 cases in children under 10 years old.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Hand Surgery
- Musculoskeletal Oncology
Background:
- Pediatric hand and wrist ganglia exhibit distinct epidemiological features compared to adults.
- A majority of pediatric cases occur on the volar aspect of the hands and wrists in patients under 10 years old.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric ganglion cysts.
- To provide data for guiding the management of these cysts in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pathology records at The Hospital for Sick Children from January 2000 to December 2008.
- Analysis of 37 cases of ganglion cysts operated on during the study period.
Main Results:
- The mean patient age was 9.6 years, with a female predominance (23 females).
- Common presentations included mobile nodules (64%) and pain (primary indication for surgery).
- Most frequent locations were volar wrist (25.7%), dorsal wrist (22.8%), and volar base of the ring finger (17.1%).
Conclusions:
- Complete surgical removal is a highly effective treatment for pediatric ganglion cysts.
- Low recurrence rates (2.8%) were observed, supporting surgical excision as the treatment of choice.
Background:
Pediatric hand and wrist ganglia seem to have different epidemiological characteristics than those of adults - a majority are found on the volar aspect of the hands and wrists of patients younger than 10 years of age.
Objective:
To determine the epidemiology, etiological factors, clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of patients with ganglion cysts at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario).
Methods:
The records of the pathology department at The Hospital for Sick Children were searched for all cases of ganglion cyst operated on between January 2000 and December 2008.
Results:
Thirty-seven patients underwent treatment for symptomatic ganglion cyst. The mean age of the patients was 9.6 years, and there were 23 females. A mobile nodule was the initial presentation of the ganglion in 64% of the cases. Pain was the most common indication for surgical removal. Only 11.4% of patients experienced previous trauma. In 70% of the cases, the diagnosis was made clinically. The most common sites of occurrence were volar wrist (25.7%), dorsal wrist (22.8%) and the volar aspect of the base of the ring finger (17.1%). Surgical excision was the treatment of choice for 94.2% of the patients with symptomatic lesions. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months. Only one patient (2.8%) presented with recurrence in the series.
Conclusion:
Although it is possible that these findings might change with longer follow-up, the present data provide information to help guide the treatment of these cysts. Complete surgical removal is a very effective treatment, with low rates of recurrence.
