The popliteal fossa Baker's cyst is a benign tumor that develops on the back of the knee joint, at the site of the popliteal fossa. It looks like a soft elastic seal, which as a result of the inflammatory process increases in size.
The place of formation is the mucous membranes of the tendon bags, into which fluid from the inflamed joint enters and accumulates through a narrow slit-like passage. Quite often, the cyst is bilateral.
Reasons: The Baker’s popliteal fossa cyst can develop on its own or on the background of damage and deformation of the menisci, chronic synovitis, osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint injury, damage to the articular cartilage.
Symptoms: At the very beginning, the disease proceeds imperceptibly or may cause slight discomfort. When probing, the seal acts only when the knee joint is extended, when bent, it decreases or completely disappears.
As it grows, there is a pinching of the adjacent nerves, which causes tingling and numbness in the area of the feet, pain in the popliteal fossa, restriction in movements, swelling in the area of the knee joint. Often it can be difficult to bend or extend your fingers.
Complications: The most common complication of the disease is rupture of the cyst. It occurs as a result of an increase in formation, which provokes an increase in the pressure of the accumulated liquid. In this case, the liquid penetrates the lower leg, contributing to the appearance of swelling and pain, redness and is accompanied by a local increase in temperature.
The popliteal fossa 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 lymph, nerve and blood vessels in the area under the knee, which is caused by swelling and pain of the leg. The formation of cysts contributes to the appearance of varicose diseases of the lower leg.
Baker’s cyst of the popliteal fossa can cause thrombophlebitis and deep vein thrombosis. A complication of thrombosis can be pulmonary embolism, which occurs as a result of the separation of a thrombus from the venous walls and its further movement through the body.
Diagnosis: The initial diagnosis of the disease is carried out on the basis of typical manifestations of the disease. For accurate diagnosis, the patient is prescribed an ultrasound examination of the knee joint, arthroscopy (examination of the joint cavity using an arthroscope), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
Treatment method : Baker cyst of the popliteal fossa 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 blockages).
If the tumor grows and causes pain, a puncture is performed. The cyst is opened, the accumulated fluid is pumped out using a thick needle. Then the cavity is washed, and anti-inflammatory steroid drugs are injected there . A conservative treatment method does not always give a positive result.
Upon reaching a huge tumor, as well as with significant restrictions on movement and strong compression of the nerve vessels of the popliteal fossa, treatment is prescribed with the help of surgical intervention.
Surgical treatment is performed by surgery, on which a cyst is excised. The excision operation is not very difficult, it is done under local anesthesia, and lasts about a quarter of an hour. After surgery to remove the cyst, a tight bandage or plaster is applied to the opening site. After 5 - 7 days, the patient is allowed to walk fully.