Treating a Baker's cyst.What is the best treatment for a Baker's cyst Ba·ker's cyst n. A collection of synovial fluid that has escaped from the knee joint or from a bursa and has formed a synovial-lined sac behind the knee. ? Connie Harle San Antonio, TX A Baker's cyst--a sac of fluid under the skin that forms at the back of the knee--is almost always the result of some intra-articular problem. When the joint is inflamed, it produces excess fluid. The fluid finds an exit out the back of the knee and the cyst cyst, abnormal sac in the body, filled with a fluid or semisolid and enclosed in a membrane. Cysts can be congenital but are usually acquired, the most common locations being the skin and the ovaries. can grow to considerable size. The egress See ingress. track works like a flutter valve out of the joint so the fluid cannot re-enter re·en·ter also re-en·ter v. re·en·tered, re·en·ter·ing, re·en·ters v.tr. 1. To enter or come in to again. 2. To record again on a list or ledger. v.intr. it. Most people have little pain other than an aching and a sense of tightness, but if the problem continues, the cyst can become quite large, firm, and painful. Treatment of a Baker's cyst, then, is directed at the underlying pathology in the knee that is causing the inflammation. Once the joint is treated, the cyst will likely resolve by itself over time. Baker's cysts are often associated with rheumatoid arthritis rheumatoid arthritis Chronic, progressive autoimmune disease causing connective-tissue inflammation, mostly in synovial joints. It can occur at any age, is more common in women, and has an unpredictable course. ; assuming you don't have this or another systemic inflammatory disease, a trip to the orthopedist will reveal the best course of action, which may not involve any direct treatment of the cyst, or could involve injection, or less commonly, minor surgery. Larry D. Hull, MD Centralia, WA |
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