Acupuncture treatment of dorsal wrist ganglion: Case report

Ganglion cysts are benign soft tissue tumors most commonly encountered in the hand. The most widely used approaches are watchful waiting, non-operative aspiration, steroid injection and surgical removal, but these are often associated with high recurrence rates and complications. We report the case of a 38-year-old female graphic designer who presented to the acupuncture outpatient department with chief complaint of an enlarging, painless lump on the left wrist for 5 months. Ultrasound analysis demonstrated a 1.8 * 1.07 cm mass lesion on the dorsum of the left wrist. Her wrist range of motion was approximately 40° active flexion and 30° active extension. Discomfort was the maximum during wrist extension. For each acupuncture treatment, three needles (0.30 mm in diameter, 40 mm in length) were inserted transversely at an angle of 15° and to a depth of 15-20 mm. When the needles were removed after the first treatment, ultrasound analysis showed that the mass lesion decreased in size from 1.8 cm to 1.72 cm, and further to 1.55 cm the following day. The patient underwent treatment every other day for a total of six treatments over a three-week period. By the end of the sixth visit, the cyst had become insignificant in size. The treatment outcome suggests that acupuncture may have effects in perforating the cyst wall and promoting the absorption of the gelatinous fluid within the cyst. Acupuncture may be a viable treatment option with reduced complications and potential faster recovery time for dorsal wrist ganglions.