Efficacy of corticosteroid injections in the treatment of 85 ganglion cysts of the dorsal aspect of the wrist

Abstract

IntroductionGanglion cysts of the dorsal aspect of the wrist are a benign pathology frequently encountered in consultations for hand surgery. Their treatment, irrespective of the type, presents a risk of recurrence and there is no consensus on the management to adopt. Medical treatments such as corticosteroid injections have recurrence rates between 8 and 74%. Surgical treatments seem to have better results, with less disparate failure rates, at around 15%. HypothesisThe objective of this retrospective study was to determine the effectiveness of the aspiration and injection of corticosteroids under ultrasound guidance in the treatment of 85 ganglion cysts of the dorsal aspect of the wrist. Patients and methodsWe retrospectively included 99 patients suffering from a non-occult ganglion cyst of the dorsal aspect of the wrist, who had received a referral for aspiration, and subsequent injection of corticosteroids between January 2015 and December 2020. Data collection was carried out by the analysis of files on the institution's software, and by a phone call. Data such as age, sex, pre- and post-treatment QuickDASH score, as well as recurrence and second-line treatments were collected. ResultsThe average age of our cohort was 31, with a 65% female predominance. The recurrence rate after a first injection was 73.2% with a mean follow-up of 34 months. The QuickDASH score improved significantly by 26.2 points out of 100 in non-injected patients, and by 18.6 points out of 100 after injection, whether the cyst recurred or not. ConclusionWith 73.2% recurrence, corticosteroid injections do not appear to be effective in treating dorsal ganglion cysts of the wrist. They lead to an improvement in the functional score of the wrist, but not significantly compared to treatment abstinence. Level of evidenceIV.