Cyst Baker popliteal fossa - treatment

The Baker's cyst of the popliteal fossa is a benign tumor that develops from the back of the knee joint, at the site of the popliteal fossa. It looks like a soft, elastic seal that increases in size as a result of the inflammatory process.

The place of formation is the mucosa of interstitial bags, into which liquid from the inflamed joint enters and accumulates through a narrow slit-like passage. Quite often the cyst is bilateral.

Causes: Popliteal fossa cyst may develop independently or against the background of injuries and deformations of menisci, chronic synovitis, osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint trauma, articular cartilage damage.

Symptoms: At the outset, the disease runs unnoticed or can cause minor discomfort. At palpation, the seal appears only when the knee is unbent, it decreases or completely disappears when bending.

As the growth occurs, the nerves are located jamming, which causes tingling and numbness in the foot area, pain in the popliteal fossa, restriction in movements, swelling in the knee joint region. Often, there may be difficulty in bending or unbending fingers.

Complications: The most common complication of the disease is the cyst rupture. Occurs as a result of increased education, which provokes an increase in the pressure of the accumulated liquid. In this case, the liquid penetrates into the shin, contributing to the appearance of swelling and pain, redness and accompanied by a local increase in temperature.

The popliteal cyst can exert pressure on the tibial nerve, causing numbness, weakness, or tingling in the lower limb. Reaching a significant size, the cyst can press on the lymphatic, nerve and blood vessels in the area under the knee, which is caused by swelling and pain of the shin. The formation of a cyst contributes to the appearance of varicose tibia.

Cyst Baker popliteal fossa can cause thrombophlebitis and thrombosis of the deep veins of the extremity. Complication of thrombosis may be pulmonary embolism, which occurs as a result of the separation of the thrombus from the venous walls and its further movement through the body.

Diagnosis: Primary diagnosis of the disease is carried out on the basis of typical manifestations of the disease. For accurate diagnosis, the patient is prescribed ultrasound examination of the knee joint, arthroscopy (examination of the joint cavity with an arthroscope), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging tomography).

Treatment: Popliteal fossa cyst Can be treated with both symptomatic and radical methods. With conservative treatment, the patient is prescribed a course of therapy with anti-inflammatory drugs, compresses, physiotherapy, intraarticular injections (drug blockades).

If the tumor increases and causes pain, a puncture is performed. The cyst is opened, the accumulated fluid is pumped out from there with the help of a thick needle. Further, the cavity is washed, and anti-inflammatory steroid preparations are administered there. The conservative method of treatment does not always give a positive result.

When the tumor reaches a huge size, as well as with significant restrictions of movements and strong compression of the nerve vessels of the popliteal fossa, treatment is prescribed by surgery.

Operative treatment is performed through an operation on which excision of the cyst is done. The surgery for excision is not very difficult, done under local anesthesia, lasts about a quarter of an hour. After the operation to remove the cyst in the place of dissection, a tight bandage or gypsum is applied. After 5 - 7 days the patient is allowed to walk fully.