A ganglion is a fluid-filled lump that grows from a joint or tendon. On the foot, they usually appear on the top of the foot or around the ankle. They can be soft or quite firm, and they sometimes change size.
Many cause no trouble at all. Others rub on shoes, press on a nerve and cause tingling, or simply get bigger and become a nuisance.
Is it a ganglion?
Most lumps on the foot are harmless, but it’s important to know what you’re dealing with. I’ll examine it and usually arrange an ultrasound scan to confirm what it is before deciding on treatment.
Treatment
- Leave it alone. If it isn’t bothering you, that’s a perfectly reasonable option. Some go away on their own.
- Draining it. The fluid can be drawn off with a needle. It’s quick, but ganglions often come back.
- Removal. Taking it out surgically, along with its root, gives the best chance of it not returning. This is a day case.
Will it come back?
Draining a ganglion with a needle is quick, but they often refill. Removing it surgically, along with its root where it joins the joint or tendon, gives the best chance of it not coming back. It’s a small day-case operation at NovoClinic, and most people are back in shoes within a couple of weeks.
