A 17-year-old girl is brought to the office for evaluation of a left foot mass. She noticed swelling on the top of her foot approximately 3 months ago but said that it did not bother her until she was teased about it in school. She has no other concerns. Examination shows a nontender, rounded mass on the dorsum of the foot that transilluminates with a penlight. An image of the mass is shown below: as shown in the exhibit.
The lesion transilluminates when a penlight is applied to it. Without treatment, which of the following is most likely to occur in this patient?

Question

A 17-year-old girl is brought to the office for evaluation of a left foot mass. She noticed swelling on the top of her foot approximately 3 months ago but said that it did not bother her until she was teased about it in school. She has no other concerns. Examination shows a nontender, rounded mass on the dorsum of the foot that transilluminates with a penlight. An image of the mass is shown below: as shown in the exhibit. 
The lesion transilluminates when a penlight is applied to it.  Without treatment, which of the following is most likely to occur in this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: A ganglion cyst is a connective tissue outpouching arising from tendon sheaths and joint structures.  It is typically round, firm, well-circumscribed, and transilluminates on penlight examination.  Most resolve spontaneously.

A 17-Year-Old Girl Is Brought to the Office for Evaluation