title: Intraosseous Ganglia: a series of 17 treated cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraosseous ganglion is a cystic lesion that contains gelatinous material, most often occurs in middle-aged patients, and is regarded as similar to soft-tissue ganglion. The etiology is unknown, but association with degenerative joint disease has been considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  At a single institute, 17 patients (8 men, 9 women) with a mean age of 48.9 years (22-72 years) were surgically treated for an intraosseous ganglion. The lesions were located in 9 long bones (5 tibiae, 2 humeri, 1 ulna, and 1 femur); 4 flat bones (2 scapulae, 2 ilia); and 4 small bones (2 scaphoid, 1 metacarpal bone, and 1 talus). The diagnosis was confirmed based both on the gross intraoperative finding of intralesional gelatinous material and on histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All lesions occurred at the epiphysis or near the joint. The plain radiographs showed a lesion with marginal osteosclerosis. The average lesion size was 22.4 mm (range 6-40 mm). Among the 17 patients, 2 (12%) had osteoarthritis, 3 (18%) had pathological fracture, and 4 (24%) had extraskeletal extension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The periosteum and cortex of bone represent physical barriers. Therefore, it seems much more likely that primary bone lesions will spread to the soft tissues. Intraosseous ganglion does not appear to be associated with either soft-tissue ganglion or with osteoarthritis. This clinical information and the appearance on plain radiographs, particularly the marginal osteosclerosis, are of differential diagnostic importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. akio@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Yukihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001845:Bone Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010026:Osteosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012540:Scapula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed