Abstract
Ganglion cyst, a common benign soft tissue lesion, is not uncommon in the foot, with
the most common location being the dorsal aspect. We describe a case where the ganglion
had an unusual radiographic appearance in the form of an hourglass, extending from
dorsum into the planter compartments of the foot. A 74-year-old woman presented with
longstanding pain in her midfoot. Clinical examination revealed a soft tissue swelling
with minimal tenderness in the first webspace of the right foot. The initial radiograph
was normal. Ultrasound examination revealed a cystic swelling filled with hemorrhagic
fluid with an hourglass appearance. Magnetic resonance imaging examination confirmed
the cystic nature of the swelling and depicted the hourglass-shaped ganglion extending
from the dorsal to plantar aspect of foot. Complete excision was possible with a combined
dorsal and plantar approach. Ganglion cyst can present in the foot in locations other
than the dorsum and could have extensions into the plantar aspect. This variation
needs to be considered when planning surgical excision, which could be aided by preoperative
magnetic resonance imaging.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
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References
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 24, 2010
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
