Mucus Cyst

Mucus Cyst

Mucous cysts are small, fluid-filled sacs that tend to develop in the mouth or on the fingers and toes. They are not harmful, but they can be uncomfortable. There are several options for removing them.
Mucous cysts can also develop in other areas of the body besides the mouth.

Digital cysts appear as firm sacs near the joints of the fingers or toes. This type of cyst forms as an extension of the joint. It is also possible for them to develop away from the joint, such as near the base of a fingernail or toenail.

Digital mucous cysts are more common in older adults, typically in people who are more than 70 years of age.

HAND & WRIST ANATOMY

Wrist and Hand Joints - 3D Anatomy Tutorial

DISEASE EXPLAINED

Mucous Cyst Diagnosis and Treatment by Dr. Anzarut

SYMPTOMS

Small round or oval bumps

Up to 1 centimeter (cm) in size (0.39 inch)

Smooth

Firm or fluid-filled

Not usually painful, but the nearby joint may have arthritis pain

Skin-colored, or translucent with a reddish or bluish tinge and often looks like a “pearl”

Slow-growing

CAUSES

The cyst forms when the synovial tissue around the finger or toe joint degenerates. This is associated with osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint diseases.

Sometimes a small bony growth formed from degenerating joint cartilage (an osteophyte) may be involved.

The cyst forms when the fibroblast cells in the connective tissue produce too much mucin (an ingredient of mucus). This type of cyst doesn’t involve joint degeneration.

TREATMENT

Mucoid Cyst Surgery

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Nonsurgical
Infrared coagulation.
This procedure uses heat to burn off the cyst base. A 2014 review of the literature showed the recurrence rate with this method to be 14 percent to 22 percent.

Cryotherapy.
The cyst is drained and then liquid nitrogen is used to alternately freeze and thaw the cyst. The objective is to block any more fluid from reaching the cyst. The recurrence rate with this procedure is 14 percent to 44 percent. Cryotherapy may be painful in some cases.

Carbon dioxide laser.
The laser is used to burn off (ablate) the cyst base after it’s been drained. There’s a 33 percent recurrence rate with this procedure.

Intralesional photodynamic therapy.
This treatment drains the cyst and injects a substance into the cyst that makes it light-sensitive. Then laser light is used to burn off the cyst base. A small 2017 study (10 people) had a 100 percent success rate with this method. There was no cyst recurrence after 18 months.

Repeated needling.
This procedure uses a sterile needle or knife blade to puncture and drain the myxoid cyst. It may need to be done two to five times. The cyst recurrence rate is 28 percent to 50 percent.
Injection with a steroid or a chemical that shrinks the fluid (sclerosing agent). A variety of chemicals may be used, such as iodine, alcohol, or polidocanol. This method has the highest recurrence rate: 30 percent to 70 percent.

Surgical
Surgical treatments have a high success rate, ranging from 88 percent to 100 percent. For this reason, your doctor may recommend surgery as a first-line treatment.

Surgery cuts the cyst away and covers the area with a skin flap that closes as it heals. The size of the flap is determined by the size of the cyst. The joint involved is sometimes scraped and osteophytes (bony outgrowths from the joint cartilage) are removed.

Sometimes, the surgeon may inject dye into the joint to find (and seal) the point of fluid leakage. In some cases, the flap may be stitched, and you may be given a splint to wear after surgery.

In surgery and in nonsurgical methods, scarring that cuts the connection between the cyst area and the joint prevents more fluid from leaking to the cyst. Based on his treatment of 53 people with mucus cysts, one researcher has argued that the scarring can be accomplished without the need for cyst removal and a skin flap.

CONTACTING DR. PERLMUTTER

Texting is preferred by Dr. Perlmutter for communication (717-836-6833). Please contact him ASAP, should you have any concerns whatsoever. Many patients fail to contact Dr. Perlmutter when they should have because they are "afraid of bothering him." This is a potentially dangerous attitude and Dr. Perlmutter will always welcome every opportunity to make his patients feel more comfortable. Please feel comfortable sending photographs to add perspective to your questions. Please turn on your flash, aim directly at the body part that you wish to show, and use an evenly colored, dark, and non-reflective background.

If you cannot text, you may call Dr. Perlmutter, however, you must use a confirmed caller ID unblocked telephone or he will not be able to return your call. If you need help turning off this feature you may:

1) Try pushing *82 prior to dialing, or

2) Use a different phone.

Your failure to do so will absolutely compromise your care and hurt your outcome!

If Dr. Perlmutter cannot be reached on his cell phone or by text, please contact the hospital operator to assist in reaching him or a member of his team. They can be reached at NASH: 252-962-8000. ECU Edgecombe: 252-641-7700.

IF YOU PERCEIVE AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911 OR GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM ASAP.

DISCLAIMER

 

  • All of the opinions expressed within the educational information delivered within the provided links are those of their authors and not necessarily those of either your treating doctor or CRO.
  • This site is for educational purposes only!!
  • Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.