# Ganglion cyst > A ganglion cyst is a benign lump filled with fluid, with a smooth surface, found near a joint or tendon. Guide in [Muscles, tendons and ligaments](https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/topics/muscles-tendons-and-ligaments), from Foot Ankle Lower Limb: https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/ganglion-cyst Reviewed by Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod (Podiatrist) on 1 November 2026. Next review by 1 November 2027. - **It's a fluid-filled lump.** A ganglion cyst is a smooth, benign lump that forms near a joint or tendon. - **Often harmless.** Many are painless, and some settle by themselves. - **Draining often isn't a fix.** The lump can come back after the fluid is drained with a needle. ## What is a ganglion cyst? A ganglion cyst (a ganglion) is a smooth, fluid-filled lump under the skin near a joint or tendon [1]. It is benign, meaning not cancer [1]. In the foot it is often on top of the midfoot, where jelly-like fluid balloons out through a weak spot in the joint or tendon covering [2]. It is thought to come from wear, not a tumour [3]. It is commoner in the hand and wrist [4]. They are usually painless and can go away by themselves [5]; they may be noticeable and can sometimes be painful or limit movement [6]. ## What causes a ganglion cyst, and who gets one? No one knows for certain what causes a ganglion cyst [1][7]. It is thought to form when fluid leaks through a weak spot in a joint or tendon covering and collects in a sac [2][8]. These lumps are usually found where an area is under frequent physical stress [9]. A ganglion can develop after an injury, friction or irritation of the tendon lining, or with arthritis [5]. One theory is that the body forms a kind of internal blister in response to injury or overuse [7]. These are possible contributors, not proven causes. ## What does a ganglion cyst feel like, and how is it diagnosed? A ganglion is usually a smooth, firm lump under the skin, most often on top of the foot [1][3]. It can be pea-sized to golf ball-sized, and sometimes can't be seen [1]. It may change size or disappear [3]. The skin usually looks and feels normal [5]. Most cause no symptoms [1]. Some hurt when you walk or wear shoes, and a few press on a nerve [1]. Diagnosis is mainly from your history and an examination, including shining a light through the lump [10][11]. Draining thick, clear gel supports it [6]. Other lumps, such as arthritic changes, gout deposits, fatty lumps or, rarely, a tumour, can look similar, so a clinician checks [6]. ## What can I do about a ganglion cyst first? If your ganglion isn't causing pain, it's usually fine to leave it alone and keep an eye on it (watchful waiting) [5][12]. Treatment is usually only suggested when a ganglion hurts [5]. Draining the fluid with a needle (aspiration) is a further option, but it often doesn't stop the lump coming back [13][14]. Only a trained clinician should do it, after checking whether the lump arises from a joint or tendon, because of the risk of tendon rupture and nerve injury [4][13][15]. If it's sore, a pharmacist can advise on simple pain relief that suits you [5]. > [!tip] Try this > Note the size of the lump so you can tell if it grows, and watch for new pain, numbness or pins and needles. ## What if watching and waiting isn't enough? If your ganglion keeps hurting, limits movement or keeps coming back, a doctor or foot and ankle surgical service can discuss surgical removal. It lowers the chance of the lump returning compared with draining, though that mostly comes from wrist ganglia in adults [14]. For one ganglion near the knee joint, treating the joint itself lowered it further [16]. Surgery has risks, including nerve injury, and recovery takes time [4][14]. The surgeon needs to know where the lump sits and how it relates to nearby structures before draining or removing it [4]. Draining ganglia on the top of a toe or finger isn't recommended, because of the high risk of joint infection [13]. ## Will a ganglion cyst go away, and can I stop it coming back? The outlook is generally good. Many ganglia settle by themselves, with roughly a third to around 60% doing so [6][7][13]. Many wrist ganglia settle on their own, often within a couple of years [10]. If a ganglion comes back, it is more likely after draining than after surgical removal, mostly from wrist ganglia in adults [14]. Nothing is proven to prevent a ganglion, because the cause isn't well understood [1]. A lump that returns or grows after treatment shouldn't be assumed to be the same ganglion [6][11][13]. ## What can make it serious? - You have new numbness, tingling, pins and needles or weakness in your foot that has come on gradually. - A lump on your foot or leg is growing, or looks or feels unusual. - You have pain at night or at rest that doesn't settle. - You have had cancer before and notice a new lump, or pain that doesn't settle. - A joint suddenly becomes hot, swollen and very painful, and you have a fever or feel unwell. - Numbness or tingling in your foot or leg spreads quickly, or comes with new weakness. ## Common questions ### Is a ganglion cyst dangerous or cancerous? A ganglion is not cancer, and it is very rare for a lump like this in the foot or ankle to be or become cancerous. Even so, a new lump is worth having examined, because other lumps can look similar. ### Why does my ganglion cyst hurt when I wear shoes? A ganglion on the foot can hurt when something presses on it, such as a shoe. Depending on where it sits, it may also press on a nearby nerve, which can cause nerve symptoms. ### How can I tell a ganglion from a more serious lump? You can't tell by looking or feeling. Some serious lumps can closely look like a ganglion, and a few can seem harmless for a long time, so a new lump on your foot or ankle cannot safely be assumed to be a ganglion. A clinician can work out what it is. ## Further reading - [Ganglion cyst on Clindice](https://clindice.com/ganglion-cyst) - [Ganglion cyst](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ganglion-cyst/), NHS - [What Is a Ganglion Cyst?](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/ganglion-cyst), Cleveland Clinic - [Ganglion cyst – causes, symptoms and treatment](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ganglion-cyst), healthdirect - [Ganglion Cyst – Foot Ganglion Cyst Treatment | Foot Health Facts - Foot Health Facts](https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/ganglion-cyst), FootHealthFacts (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - [Royal Orthopaedic Hospital - Excision of Ganglion Cyst](https://roh.nhs.uk/services-information/foot-and-ankle/ganglion-cyst), NHS ## Sources 1. Ganglion cyst – causes, symptoms and treatment · Healthdirect Australia. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/conditions/joint-and-muscle-diseases/ganglion-cyst 2. Soft tissue surgery · Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust · 2025. https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/leaflet/soft-tissue-surgery/ 3. Benign tumours of foot and ankle. · Fritzsche H, Weidlich A, Schaser K et al. · EFORT Open Reviews · 2023. https://doi.org/10.1530/eor-22-0098 4. Persistent Symptoms of Ganglion Cysts in the Dorsal Foot. · Sakamoto A, Okamoto T, Matsuda S · The Open Orthopaedics Journal · 2017. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874325001711011308 5. Ganglions · msk-bexley.nhs.uk. https://msk-bexley.nhs.uk/conditions/foot-and-ankle-pain/ganglions 6. Ganglia and Myxoid Cysts - South & West · South & West. https://southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/referral-guidance/western-locality/musculoskeletal/ganglia-and-myxoid-cysts 7. Cysts - ganglion cysts · Better Health Channel · 2002. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/cysts-ganglion-cysts 8. Ganglion cyst aspiration · Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/your-visit/patient-leaflets/surgery-services/ganglion-cyst-aspiration 9. Ganglion Cyst of the foot and ankle · boa.ac.uk. https://www.boa.ac.uk/static/afa7bed3-a866-49ad-9b3f09c47c95ab91/foot%20and%20ankle%20ganglion%20cyst%20commissioning%20pathway.pdf 10. Ganglion cysts of the wrist: pathophysiology, clinical picture, and management. · Gude W, Morelli V · Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine · 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-008-9033-4 11. East Sussex MSK Community Partnership · eastsussexmsk.nhs.uk. https://eastsussexmsk.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lumps-and-Bumps-Guidance-2025.pdf 12. GP Pathway for foot and ankle soft tissue lumps and bumps Lesion Summary Table · NHS. https://best.barnsleyccg.nhs.uk/media/fqsdbroa/foot-lesion-summary-table-pdf.pdf 13. Ganglion · NHS. https://rms.cornwall.nhs.uk/primary_care_clinical_referral_criteria/primary_care_clinical_referral_criteria/orthopaedics/primary_care_clinical_referral_criteria/primary_care_clinical_referral_criteria/orthopaedics/foot_and_ankle_referral/primary_care_clinical_referral_criteria/prima 14. Wrist ganglion treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. · Head L, Gencarelli JR, Allen M et al. · The Journal of Hand Surgery · 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.12.014 15. Intra-Tendinous Ganglion Cyst of the Peroneus Tertius: A Case Report and Literature Review. · Walls RC, Ubillus HA, Azam MT et al. · The American Journal of Case Reports · 2023. https://doi.org/10.12659/ajcr.938498 16. Management and outcomes of proximal tibiofibular joint ganglion cysts: A systematic review. · Huntington LS, Talia A, Devitt BM et al. · The Knee · 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knee.2022.05.009 --- This is general information, not advice about your own situation. 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