Symptomatic ganglions in the knee joint. Report of three cases and literature review

BACKGROUND: The cystic lesions seen around the knee are usually meniscal or popliteal cysts. Cysts inside the articular cavity of the knee are rare and they are usually detected as incidental MRI findings. The ganglions originating in the cruciate ligaments or the infrapatellar fat have rarely been reported. We are reporting the cases of three intraarticular ganglions. The clinical diagnosis was made with magnetic resonance imaging. All patients were treated With arthroscopic surgery using the synovial shaver to remove the tissue. The three patients were reported as asymptomatic during the follow-up, with full range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: The literature review shows that the origin of ganglions is controversial. The three reported cases show that this is a pathology that should be suspected, as it is difficult to diagnose. MRI is essential to make the diagnosis and the arthroscopic treatment of intraarticular ganglions is effective.