Effectiveness of Needle Aspiration versus Surgical Excision for Symptomatic Synovial Cysts of the Hip: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND This study was performed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of needle aspiration vs surgical excision for symptomatic synovial cysts of the hip. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with synovial cysts of the hip and treated in a single-center hospital from January 2012 to April 2022. Patients receiving needle aspiration were assigned to group A and those treated with surgery were assigned to group B. Demographic characteristics, etiology, symptoms, cyst location, postoperative complications and recurrence, Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Visual Analog Scale of Pain (VAS) scores before treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment were recorded to assess hip function in both groups. RESULTS This study recruited 44 patients, with 18 patients in group A and 26 in group B, and the 2 arms were well-balanced in terms of baseline patient profiles. Needle aspiration resulted in significantly better pain mitigation for patients at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after treatment vs surgical interventions (P<0.05). Needle joint aspiration resulted in significantly better function restoration of the hip joint than surgery at 3 months after treatment, as evidenced by the lower HHS score of 85.31±13.16 in group A vs 78.51±11.66 in group B (P=0.002). Surgery was associated with a significantly lower incidence of disease relapse (0.00%) vs needle aspiration (27.7%) (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS Needle aspiration in the treatment of symptomatic synovial cysts of the hip causes less damage to the soft tissue and leads to faster recovery in the short term than surgical resection. Surgical resection has a lower recurrence rate and better long-term efficacy.

Ganglion cyst of temporomandibular joint - A systematic review.

Ganglion cyst of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an uncommon pathology with uncertain etiology. There is no consensus on their management. The current systematic review aimed to discuss the clinical and histopathological features of ganglion cysts of TMJ, to aid in appropriate treatment. A literature search was done and a total of 20 cases were retrieved from published databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The cyst presented with swelling in all the cases followed by pain (50 %) and trismus (35 %) as other common symptoms. Though CT and MRI proved helpful in determining the location of the cyst, a histopathological examination was essential in concluding its final diagnosis. It is a pseudocyst lined by dense fibro-connective tissue with myxoid tissue degeneration. Histologically, it is essential to distinguish them from the clinically and radiographically similar true cyst of TMJ, synovial cyst. The lining of ganglion cyst is devoid of epithelium and synovial cells. Surgical excision was found to be the treatment of choice with minimal recurrence (10 %) being reported.

Surgically managed symptomatic intraspinal lumbar facet synovial cyst outcome of surgical treatment with resection and instrumented posterolateral fusion, a case series.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the treatment of symptomatic synovial cysts, specifically, the need for a concomitant fusion when surgical resection of the synovial cysts is required. We present a retrospective review of a series of patients treated for symptomatic synovial cysts of the lumbar region during the last 20 years by a single surgeon, analyzing the current available literature. METHODS: Retrospective review. The same surgical technique was applied to all patients. Demographic, clinical, surgical data and synovial cyst recurrence rate were recorded. Postoperative results reported by patients were documented according to the McNab score. RESULTS: Sixty nine subjects, with mean follow-up of 7.4 years. 62% (43) were female, with a mean 57.8 years at the time of surgery. In 91.3% (63), the primary management was conservative for a minimum period of 3 months. All subjects underwent surgery due to the failure of conservative treatment. The segment most operated on was L4-L5 (63.77%). 91.3% (63) of the sample reported excellent and good and 6 subjects (8.6%) fair or poor results. There was no evidence of synovial cysts recurrence at the operated level. CONCLUSION: In symptomatic synovial cysts, it seems that conservative treatment is only effective in a limited number of patients and in the short term. Thus, the recommendation of a surgical indication should proceed as soon as the conservative management fails to result in significant symptom relief. Based on our results, we recommend, together with the resection of the cyst, the instrumentation of the segment to avoid its recurrence and the management of axial pain.

Cutaneous metaplastic synovial cyst in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Classic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by laxity. The skin, as one of the organs involved, shows hyperextensibility, which makes it prone to trauma. In this context, it would seem logical for cutaneous synovial metaplasia, which is considered a form of repair, to be commonly found in cases of EDS. However, there are only two previously published cases of synovial metaplasia in EDS. We present a third case in a 56-year-old woman with painful redundant skin in both elbows and knees for whom a skin fold of the left elbow was removed to relieve her symptoms. The biopsy showed preservation of the elastic and collagen fibers. The main alteration was the evidence of dermal cystic spaces lined by fibrinoid rests with focal pseudopapillary projections. However, in some zones the cellular lining was preserved, and it was composed of vimentin-positive, fibroblast-like flat, elongated cells, as well as CD68-positive macrophages. No birefringent particles were found in an examination under polarized light.

Synovial cysts of the hip joint: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Synovial cyst of the hip joint is a rare clinical condition in need of evidence-based guidelines for its diagnosis and management. Normally, synovial cyst of the hip joint requires no treatment, but when it intrudes into surrounding structures, various clinical symptoms appear. Because of its rarity, a symptomatic synovial cyst is often confounded with a tumor as a space-occupying lesion or with other diseases, depending on its various clinical presentations. Therefore, guidelines for the precise diagnosis and appropriate management for synovial cyst of the hip joint are required. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 7 cases of symptomatic synovial cyst of the hip joint, some of which showed lower limb edema due to mass effect. We compared physical exam findings on presentation, imaging findings, and size and location of the cyst. RESULTS: All cases were managed successfully with surgical excision. We found that, instead of the size of the cyst, the location of the cyst was an important contributor to venous compression. The recurrence rate was 0%, and some patients have significantly long follow-up of 2 years, 4 years, 6 years and 10 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For symptomatic synovial cyst of the hip joint, surgical excision can successfully resolve the symptoms without recurrence. This retrospective study discusses the clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, and surgical treatment of symptomatic synovial cyst of the hip joint, hence shedding more light on the clinical management of this condition.

Periarticular Cysts of the Temporomandibular Joint Are More Frequently Synovial Than Ganglion.

PURPOSE: Differentiating between ganglion and synovial cysts by standard histology is difficult, leading to inaccurate statements on frequency for each of these periarticular lesions. The purpose of this study was to use immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis to 1) calculate the accuracy of the histologic diagnoses, 2) determine the frequency of ganglion and synovial cysts of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and 3) compare the frequency of these lesions in the TMJ compared with the extracranial skeleton in patients treated at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of all patients undergoing treatment of TMJ cysts at MGH from 2001 through 2013. IHC analysis of tissue samples for each patient was completed and compared with the original histologic diagnoses. Categorical variables, including age, gender, and sidedness, were recorded. A natural language search of the MGH Department of Pathology database determined the frequency of extracranial periarticular cysts during the same period. RESULTS: Thirteen patients met the inclusion criteria. Eleven cysts were synovial and 2 were ganglion based on histology. IHC analysis identified 2 false-positive synovial cyst diagnoses, resulting in 100% sensitivity and 50% specificity for the original histologic assessment and a percentage error of 22%. Of the periarticular TMJ lesions, 69% were synovial cysts and 31% were ganglion cysts. The frequency of TMJ versus extracranial ganglion cysts was 0.24%, and the frequency of TMJ versus extracranial synovial cysts was 0.60% based on 3,176 extracranial cysts (1,506 synovial; 1,670 ganglion). CONCLUSION: This study represents the largest single-institution experience with periarticular cysts of the TMJ, and contrary to previous reports, TMJ cysts appear to be more frequently synovial than ganglion. IHC can be used to overcome the relatively poor specificity of histologic diagnosis of synovial cysts.

Retro-odontoid synovial cyst resected via an anterolateral approach without fusion.

PURPOSE: Retro-odontoid synovial cysts are rare and attributable to degenerative changes in the atlantoaxial joints. An anterolateral approach facilitates access to lesions located anterior to the craniocervical junction without harming the atlantoaxial joints, and can also treat small lesions in the ventral mid-portion of the craniocervical junction without compression of spinal cord. METHODS: We present herein the case of a 70-year-old man with a retro-odontoid synovial cyst. A ventral midsection mass was present at the level of the atlantoaxial joint. The compressed anterior medulla led to neurological deficits. Slight atlantoaxial instability was radiologically present. An intradural cyst resection without fusion was performed via the anterolateral approach. The diagnosis of a synovial cyst was histologically confirmed. RESULTS: The patient was followed up for 3 years and exhibited improvements in the neurological deficits. There were no recurrence and postoperative deterioration of atlantoaxial instability. CONCLUSIONS: The anterolateral approach for the retro-odontoid synovial cyst had little effect on C1-2 instability and yielded neurological improvements.

Surgical treatment of temporomandibular disorder in a 24-year-old male patient with ganglion cyst.

Ganglion cysts are common pseudocystic masses, whereas those arising from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are rare entities. We report a case of ganglion cyst of the right TMJ with symptomatic bilateral TMJ internal derangement in a 24-year-old man. Disk repositioning using bone anchors and excision of the ganglion cyst were performed. A unique characteristic of inflammatory infiltrates was revealed in the specimen, and the relationship between these 2 distinct entities and probable pathogenesis of infectious involvement are discussed.

[Amyothropic neuralgy of lumbosacral plexus - case report]. / Neuralgia amiotroficzna splotu ledzwiowo-krzyzowego - opis przypadku.

Amyothropic neuralgy is a rare disease witch unknown etiopathogenesis. The main popular theory says that inflammatory and immunomodulatory process is connected with that disease. Diagnosis is made after exclusion of other causes of plexus lumbosacralis damage. The main symptom is neuropathic pain after which there is observed muscle weakness and atrophy. ENG/EMG study and MRI are made to confirm the diagnosis. In this study we described a case of 52 years old female with lower limbs paresis, who was diagnosed few years after first symptoms. Limb paresis was preluded by lumbar pain. MRI study revealed central spinal disc herniations on L1-2, L2-3, L3-4 levels with dura matter compression, L4-5 spinal disc right lateral herniation and synovial cyst. MRI of both lumbar plexuses was also normal. EMG study revealed features of bilateral, chronic damage of lower legs nerves on lumbar plexus level. Patient was treated with physiotherapy and gabapentin with dose of 2x600mg per day.

Synovial cyst of the antecubital fossa mimicking a brachial artery pseudoaneurysm: report of a case.

Pseudoaneurysms of the brachial artery are common following a percutaneous cardiac catheterization. Synovial cysts are a commonly identified entity in patients with rheumatic diseases as well. We present a rare case of a synovial cyst in the elbow masquerading as an iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of the brachial artery. A 51-year-old female patient presented with a pulsatile and painful mass in the right antecubital fossa. The medical history revealed a recent diagnostic cardiac catheterization at the same site and rheumatoid arthritis under oral treatment. Imaging investigations were not fully diagnostic. Because of the clinical suspicion of a thrombosed pseudoaneurysm, exploratory surgery was indicated. The pathologic examination of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of a synovial cyst. Ultrasonography and computed tomography imaging are valuable in the everyday clinical practice but they do not always exclude an iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm, especially when the medical history is suspicious. Surgical removal is the proper treatment and pathologic examination sets the final diagnosis in such cases of diagnostic difficulty.

Cervical synovial cyst.

Synovial cysts of the cervical spine are extremely rare. They can therefore pose a diagnostic challenge. We present an unusual case of acute symptomatology secondary to spontaneous haemorrhage into a cervical facet joint cyst.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis developing in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 56-year-old man developed pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) 3 years after he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). He had been successfully treated with methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfadiazine, and intra-articular knee injection of etanercept (tumor necrosis factor α inhibitor) in 2010. He stopped all drugs for arthritis 1 year later for disease remission. He was readmitted for right knee pain and swelling in 2013, when the magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy of the right knee indicated PVNS. Following surgical resection, the patient was doing well after 1 year. This rare case is the first reported case in English-language literature of PVNS of the knee seen in RA patients and illustrates the importance of differential diagnosis of this condition with synovial cysts, which are commonly found in RA.

[Diagnosis and treatment of the ganglion cysts and synovial cysts arising from the temporomandibular joints].

OBJECTIVE: To give a reference for the early diagnosis and treatment of the cysts arising from the temporomandibular joint. METHODS: Nine patients finally diagnosed as temporomandibular joint cysts at the Peking University Hospital of Stomatology from May 1998 to August 2013 were selected and reviewed. Their clinical manifestations, imaging features, diagnoses and differential diagnoses, treatments and follow-ups were summarized and discussed. RESULTS: In the 9 patients, 3 were males and 6 females. Their ages ranged from 33 to 62 years with a median age of 39 years; the course of the disease ranged from 2 weeks to 3 years with a median of 4 months. The image examinations were performed with conventional X-ray examinations in 7 cases, CT scans in 8 cases, MRI in 6 cases and ultrasound in one case. Of the 9 cases, 7 were finally diagnosed as ganglion cyst and 2 as synovial cyst. Ganglion cysts mainly presented as the mass of preauricular area or joint area, with no obvious symptoms or only local discomfort, occasionally with pain. The synovial cysts manifested as the painful swelling of preauricular area and limited mouth-opening, accompanying with occlusal disorders. The treatments included surgical resection in 8 cases, repeated arthrocenteses and lavages in one case. The follow-ups were from 3 months to 9 years, one case with recurrence, and the remaining eight cases without recurrence. CONCLUSION: MRI examinations are very helpful in the early diagnosis and treatment planning of temporomandibular joint cysts. Surgical resection can have good results. Repeated arthrocenteses and lavages also have a good result, which may be an alternative choice for synovial cyst, but more accumulation of clinical experience is further needed.

Auriculotemporal neuralgia secondary to TMJ synovial cyst: a rare presentation of a rare entity.

Synovial cysts of the temporomandibular joint are rare, and to our knowledge, only 14 cases have been reported. The most common presentation is local pain and swelling. We present a case of a synovial cyst presenting with neuralgia in the distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve, initially misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia.

Coexisting intraarticular disorders are unrelated to outcomes after arthroscopic resection of dorsal wrist ganglions.

BACKGROUND: Dorsal wrist ganglions are one of the most frequently encountered problems of the wrist and often are associated with intraarticular disorders. However, it is unclear whether coexisting intraarticular disorders influence persistent pain or recurrence after arthroscopic resection of dorsal wrist ganglions. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We investigated (1) which intraarticular disorders coexist with dorsal wrist ganglions and (2) whether they influenced pain, function, and recurrence after arthroscopic ganglion resection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 41 patients with primary dorsal wrist ganglions who underwent arthroscopic resection. We also obtained VAS pain scores and the Mayo Wrist Scores (MWS) preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter postoperatively. Minimum followup was 24 months (mean, 38.9 months; range, 24-60 months). RESULTS: Twenty-one patients had other coexisting intraarticular disorders: 18 triangular fibrocartilage complex tears and nine intrinsic ligament tears. All coexisting disorders were treated simultaneously. Two years after surgery, the mean VAS pain score decreased from 2.4 to 0.6, and mean grip strength increased from 28 to 36 kg of force. The mean active flexion-extension showed no change. The mean MWS improved from 74 to 91. Three ganglions recurred. There was no difference in mean VAS pain score and MWS preoperatively and at 2 years after surgery or recurrence of ganglions between patients with or without coexisting lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Intraarticular disorders commonly coexist with ganglions but we found they were unrelated to pain, function, and recurrence after arthroscopic resection of the ganglion when the intraarticular disorders were treated simultaneously. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Synovial cysts of the cervicothoracic junction causing myelopathy: report of 3 cases and review of the literature.

Synovial cysts are uncommon pathological entities in patients with cervical degenerative spinal disease, and there are only a few reports in the literature. Treatment typically involves decompression; however, biomechanical data indicate that laminectomies in the cervical spine also result in cervical instability, specifically within the cervicothoracic junction, supporting the use of fusion as well. The authors describe the use of fusion with decompression in the treatment of 3 patients with cervicothoracic synovial cysts that presented in an acute fashion with associated myelopathy and neurological decline, and they review the diagnostic elements, histopathology, and treatment of these cysts. All 3 of the patients did well with decompression via a posterior approach with a single-level instrumented fusion from C-7 to T-1. Each patient regained complete neurological function and had no residual neurological deficits. These results are promising, although the sample size of 3 cases is too small to make any conclusive evaluations. Future studies incorporating Class I and Class II data are imperative to make firm conclusions regarding general management of this rare entity.

Lateral meniscal cyst causing irreversible peroneal nerve palsy.

We report an unusual case of irreversible foot drop occurring secondary to a large lateral meniscal cyst. We discuss the presentation and management of this rare case and highlight some of the less common causes of foot drop.

Parameniscal cyst: an important differential diagnosis in slow growing masses of the knee.

INTRODUCTION: Parameniscal cysts are small cystic lesions, near the meniscus, involving medial and lateral compartments at equal frequency. Frequently, parameniscal cysts are so small that patients do not notice them, being asymptomatic. However, they can grow and exceed 2 centimeters in diameter, causing pain and alarm due to the slow growing mass. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnosis. METHODS: Case report of a patient admitted to rheumatology department in the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra. RESULTS: We report a case of a 47-year-old male with idiopathic juvenile arthritis, who presented with a slow-growing mass over the medial aspect of the right knee. MRI revealed a conspicuous cystic ovoid lesion, compatible with a parameniscal cyst, associated with structural heterogeneity of the posterior edge of the internal meniscus with a longitudinal fracture at this level. CONCLUSION: This is the first case of parameniscal cyst reported in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease and the differential diagnosis with synovial cyst, baker cyst, ganglion cyst, bursitis, hematoma and neoplasms is of utmost importance.

Microsurgical excision without fusion as a safe option for resection of synovial cyst of the lumbar spine: long-term follow-up in mono-institutional experience.

Spinal synovial cysts are cystic dilatations of the synovial membrane that may arise at all levels of the spine. We describe our experience, paying attention to diagnosis, surgical treatment, and long-term follow-up. Between 1995 and 2007, 18 patients were surgically treated. Of these, three patients were excluded from the study because they presented spinal instability at pre-operative assessment. All patients were evaluated pre-operatively with CT, MRI, and dynamic X-rays, and underwent surgery for removal of the cyst by hemilaminectomy and partial arthrectomy. All patients were evaluated with early MRI and had a minimum 2-year follow-up by dynamic X-rays. None of the patients required instrumented fusion due to the absence of radiological signs of instability on the pre-operative dynamic tests. In all patients, there was an immediate resolution of the symptoms, with evidence of complete removal of the cysts on post-operative MRI. At 2-year follow-up, all patients underwent dynamic X-rays and responded to a questionnaire for evaluation of outcome. None of them showed signs of relapse. The gold standard for treatment is surgery, even though other conservative treatment regimens have been proposed. Correct surgical strategy relies on pre-operative assessment of biomechanical stability for deciding whether patients need instrumented fusion during cyst removal. Patients with no instability signs are suitable for hemilaminectomy with partial arthrectomy, preserving 2/3 of the medial portion of the articular facet, because this represents a valid option of treatment with a low risk of complications and a low rate of relapse.

Arthroscopic decompression of suprapatellar cyst: case report.

Bursae around the knee reduce friction between moving structures. When involution of suprapatellar septum fails to occur ("complete septum"), then suprapatellar bursa may stay completely separated from the knee joint cavity to form a cystic cavity. In the case of the increased volume, suprapatellar bursitis can cause painful suprapatellar swelling. The aim is to point to the possibility of arthroscopic decompression of suprapatellar cyst. In the case presented, the indication for knee arthroscopy was based on clinical examination, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance studies. The preoperative diagnosis was verified intra-operatively, and intra-articular cyst decompression was performed by arthroscopy. At the final examination 8 months postoperatively, the patient still had no pain, swelling and had full range of motion. This minimally invasive operative procedure resulted in a satisfactory anatomic and functional outcome. In this case report, we present a patient with suprapatellar cyst submitted to arthroscopic cyst decompression.