Adventitial Cyst of the Radial Artery With a Wrist Joint Connection

Abstract

Ganglions around the wrist are the most common masses in the hand. Although the pathogenesis of wrist ganglions is not known, these lesions are known to be joint-related, a fact that has influenced current surgical interventions using arthroscopic techniques, especially for the most typical dorsally located cysts. Adventitial cysts are rare, atypical ganglions that may affect blood vessels about the wrist and other joints. These radial artery adventitial cysts may simulate the more conventional wrist ganglions by their seemingly similar appearance and location. Radial artery adventitial cysts are found directly within the adventitia, whereas the more common wrist ganglions may on occasion extrinsically compress or adhere to the artery walls. Various hypotheses for their origin have been described to explain these adventitial cysts, 1 Ohta T. Kato R. Sugimoto I. Kondo M. Tsuchioka H. Recurrence of cystic adventitial disease in an interposed vein graft. Surgery. 1994; 116: 587-592 PubMed Google Scholar the most popular of which is a degenerative theory to explain the apparent de novo formation. Joint connections for these atypical ganglions are not widely known, especially at the wrist. Thus the controversial nature of their pathogenesis continues.