Ultrasound-Guided Therapy for Knee and Foot Ganglion Cysts

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided aspiration/injection of ganglion cysts in the lower extremities (knee and foot) that required referral to the radiology department for precise localization. The present study is the first series to describe such results. The study population consisted of 15 patients who had undergone treatment from April 2012 to January 2015. Follow-up was by telephone survey, which was performed at a mean of 15 ± 6 months after treatment. Almost 90% of patients experienced immediate improvement in symptoms (mostly pain), and 77% of these patients had not experienced a recurrence of symptoms at a mean follow-up time of 14 ± 6 months. In conclusion, ultrasound-guided therapy is a safe and potentially effective treatment for most cases of symptomatic lower extremity ganglion cysts.