Intratendinous Ganglion of the Extensor Tendon of the Hand

Abstract

Ganglion is a common benign lesion that usually arises adjacent to the joints or tendons of the hand. However, an intratendinous ganglion is a rare condition. We report two cases of intratendinous ganglion of the extensor tendon of the hand which were treated with excision.

Intratendinous Ganglion of the Extensor Pollicis Longus: Case Report and Literature Review

“…Imaging modalities, including MRI and ultrasonography, are informative for the diagnosis of ganglion cysts; however, the diagnosis of intratendinous ganglion cysts is difficult because most lesions are small [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . Radiographs provide meaningful information only if there is a clinical suspicion of an underlying bony abnormality, including osteoarthritis or bone spur.…”

“…Although the causes of intratendinous ganglion cysts are still unclear, most cases were reported to occur around the extensor or flexor retinaculum. In the present case, the intratendinous ganglion cyst was located just distal to the extensor retinaculum [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] .…”

“…Enucleating the tendon to excise the ganglion cyst followed by closure with a running suture would be adequate. Intratendinous ganglion cysts, however, have been reported to increase the risk of spontaneous tendon rupture [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . This has been associated with degenerative tendinopathy and longitudinal tearing of the affected tendon 8,9 .…”

Intratendinous Ganglion Cyst of the Hand: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Regarding the tumor location, the vast majority was appeared in extensor tendons (18 cases, 82%) [ 1 , 2 , 4 – 9 ]. Apart from EDC (14 cases) [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 ], the ganglion cysts were affected by the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) (2 cases) [ 5 , 6 ] and the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) (2 cases) [ 2 , 9 ]. The remaining 4 ganglia (18%) were identified in abductor pollicis longus (AbPL) (1 case) [ 7 ], adductor pollicis longus (AdPL) (one case) [ 7 ], and flexor tendons [one case in flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and one in flexor digitorum profundus (FDP)] [ 3 , 8 ].…”

“…Symptom severity is related to the location of the ganglion, degree of tendon degeneration, and presence of associated synovitis [ 3 , 8 ]. Although the tumor usually affects the extensor tendons, other uncommon sites of involvement have been described [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]. Apart from presenting a case with intratendinous dorsal wrist ganglion with a long-term follow-up, we systematically reviewed the available literature and tried to evaluate the patients and tumor characteristics as well as the clinical outcome of surgical treatment.…”