Jennifer Bracken1, Murray Bartlett. 1. Medical Imaging Department, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia, jenny_bracken@hotmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The majority of published literature on ganglion cysts in children has been from a surgical perspective, with no dedicated radiologic study yet performed. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of ganglion cysts in a series of paediatric MR wrist examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven consecutive paediatric MR wrist examinations were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of ganglion cysts. Only those studies with wrist ganglia were included. Cysts were assessed for location, size, internal characteristics and secondary effect(s). RESULTS: Forty-one ganglion cysts (2-32 mm in size) were seen in 35/97 (36%) patients (24 female, 11 male), mean age: 13 years 11 months (range: 6 years 3 months-18 years). The majority were palmar (63.4%) with the remainder dorsal. Of the cysts, 43.9% were related to a wrist ligament(s), 36.6% to a joint and 17.1% to the triangular fibrocartilage complex. Of the patients, 91.4% had wrist symptoms: pain (n=29, 82.9%), swelling (n=7, 20%) and/or palpable mass (n=4, 11.4%); 71.4% patients had significant additional wrist abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Ganglion cysts were frequently found in children referred for wrist MRI.
BACKGROUND: The majority of published literature on ganglion cysts in children has been from a surgical perspective, with no dedicated radiologic study yet performed. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of ganglion cysts in a series of paediatric MR wrist examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven consecutive paediatric MR wrist examinations were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of ganglion cysts. Only those studies with wrist ganglia were included. Cysts were assessed for location, size, internal characteristics and secondary effect(s). RESULTS: Forty-one ganglion cysts (2-32 mm in size) were seen in 35/97 (36%) patients (24 female, 11 male), mean age: 13 years 11 months (range: 6 years 3 months-18 years). The majority were palmar (63.4%) with the remainder dorsal. Of the cysts, 43.9% were related to a wrist ligament(s), 36.6% to a joint and 17.1% to the triangular fibrocartilage complex. Of the patients, 91.4% had wrist symptoms: pain (n=29, 82.9%), swelling (n=7, 20%) and/or palpable mass (n=4, 11.4%); 71.4% patients had significant additional wrist abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Ganglion cysts were frequently found in children referred for wrist MRI.
Authors: Sharlene A Teefey; Nirvikar Dahiya; William D Middleton; Richard H Gelberman; Martin I Boyer Journal: AJR Am J Roentgenol Date: 2008-09 Impact factor: 3.959