Hygroma On The Finger - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Hygroma on the finger

Hygroma on the finger of the hand can appear both from its back side and from the side of the palms. It is a cyst that is surrounded by a dense membrane of connective tissue, and inside is filled with fluid.

Hygroma does not pose a threat to human health in terms of malignancy. This is a benign tumor that does not degenerate and does not metastasize. However, the hygroma located on the finger is a cosmetic defect that is noticeable not only to the person himself, but also to the people around him.

Tumors can cause not only aesthetic, but also physical discomfort: they hurt, worsen the nutrition of the tissues of the fingers, and impede their movement. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of the hygroma immediately after its appearance, while the tumor is small and has not reached an impressive size.

Content:

• Hygroma on the finger of the hand - what is it?
• The reasons
• Symptoms of a hygroma on the finger
• Diagnostics
• Complications
• Treatment of hygroma on the fingers
• Operation to remove hygroma on the fingers
• Prevention of finger hygroma

Hygroma on the finger of the hand - what is it?

In past years, such a cyst was called tendinous ganglion, but in modern medical literature, the term "hygroma" is more common.

The tumor grows from the tendon sheath of the finger and gives it a forced position. Most often, such a neoplasm is localized in the area of the wrist joint. If it appears on the fingers, then its favorite place of localization is their palmar side at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint. A hard and slightly painful lump appears in this place. Since the hygroma presses on the tendon, its normal sliding in the vaginal area is disrupted.

Hygroma on the fingers causes significant inconvenience to a person, since, as it grows and develops, it forces him to keep his finger bent.

The reasons

Since a hygroma is a tumor that grows from tendon sheaths or joint capsules, such a neoplasm can form on any part of the body where there is connective tissue. Until now, the exact reasons leading to the development of hygroma have not been established.

It is generally accepted that this neoplasm is a consequence of the effects on the body of a number of factors, including:

• Previous injuries. After a single injury to a joint or tendon, the likelihood of a hygroma is 30%.
• Hereditary predisposition. Blood relatives have hygromas more often.
• Belonging to the female sex. It has been established that the tumor appears three times more often in the fairer sex. The average age for diagnosing the disease is 20-30 years.
• Features of the profession. At risk for the development of finger hygroma are machinists, programmers, pianists, massage therapists, seamstresses, laundresses and other people whose work is related to manual labor.
• Postponed operations on tendons and joints.
• Bursitis and tendovaginitis.

Determination of the cause that led to the formation of a hygroma and its elimination will minimize the risk of tumor reappearance after its removal.

Symptoms of a hygroma on the finger

On the back of the fingers, hygromas are most often formed at the base of the distal phalanx, or at the base of the interphalangeal joint. The skin over the tumor becomes stretched and thin. The lipoma itself is represented by a round and dense neoplasm, which most often does not hurt. Discomfort can only occur if the tumor has been injured, for example, after receiving a bruise.

If the hygroma forms on the fingers from the side of the palm, then it originates from the tendon sheath of the flexors. Such hygromas reach large sizes, they can occupy 1-2 phalanges in area. The tumor will continue to grow, increasing pressure on the tissues of the finger and on the nerves. Therefore, such hygromas are very painful and cause severe discomfort to a person, disrupting the functions of his limb.

The person feels that the tendon is "stuck", colliding with an obstacle. After some application of force, it skips on. At this time, a characteristic click can be heard.

Fluctuation of the hygroma of the fingers is found more often than with hygromas of other localization. As a result of injury, the hygroma can open up. In this case, its contents will be released through the existing hole for a long time. It is represented by a whitish-yellow liquid, which has a rather thick consistency. If an infection gets into the wound, signs of inflammation will appear: the skin above the hygroma swells, turns red, and the local body temperature rises.

As a rule, hygromas grow slowly, the average diameter of the tumor on the fingers is 1-2 cm, but sometimes they reach 6 cm or more.

Diagnostics

To determine the diagnosis, you need to go to see a doctor. You need to contact a surgeon. The standard examination that allows you to identify a hygroma is an ultrasound scan. This method provides information about the size, consistency and exact location of the tumor.

To exclude osteoarticular pathology, the patient is referred for radiography.

If there is a suspicion of a nodular structure of the tumor, then the person is recommended to undergo an MRI. This is a highly informative method that allows you to determine the structure of the hygroma wall, as well as its filling. However, MRI is rarely used due to its high cost.

Puncture of the hygroma is performed in the case when the doctor has doubts about the benign nature of the tumor. The collected fluid is sent for histological examination. In addition, a puncture can be prescribed not only for diagnostic, but also for therapeutic purposes. As an independent method of therapy for hygroma, it is not effective, since after its implementation, the tumor will re-fill with fluid. However, if a person has contraindications to performing the operation, and the hygroma causes him severe pain, then the puncture allows him to relieve his health for a while.

It is important to distinguish finger hygroma from diseases such as:

• Atheroma.
• Lipoma.
• Malignant neoplasm.
• Bone and cartilaginous growths.
• Artery aneurysms.
• Epithelial traumatic cysts, etc.

As a rule, the diagnosis of a hygroma is not difficult and the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis already during the first examination of the patient.

Complications

Although the hygroma does not degenerate into a malignant tumor, this does not mean that it does not pose a danger to human health.

Probable complications of a finger tumor include:

• Spontaneous opening of a hygroma during an injury. In this case, the risk of infection of the wound and adjacent tissues increases.
• Deterioration of the sensitivity of the affected finger due to the pressure of the hygroma on the nerve fibers.
• The appearance of severe shooting pains in the fingers, which resemble a clinic of neuralgia.
• Deterioration of the blood supply to the finger above the area where the hygroma is located. This will lead to thinning of the skin, destruction of the nail plate, and the appearance of pustular wounds.

The larger the size of the hygroma, the higher the likelihood of complications. Therefore, it is necessary to start treatment at the early stages of tumor formation.

Treatment of hygroma on the fingers

In past years, they tried to get rid of the hygroma using methods such as:

• Kneading and crushing. In this case, the inner contents of the cyst were forcibly distributed over the joint. This procedure is accompanied by severe pain. The method was recognized as ineffective, since the relapse of the disease is observed in 100% of cases. The fact is that the entire tumor membrane remains inside and continues to produce fluid. In addition, there is a possibility of the appearance of new cysts against the background of the injury.
• Puncture of the hygroma. This method provides only temporary relief. After a few months, the tumor will fill up again.
• Puncture with enzymes or sclerosing drugs. As practice shows, relapses after such treatment occur in about 80% of cases. At the same time, there is a high risk of getting the drug into healthy tissues, which can lead to disruption of the working capacity of joints or tendons.
• Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment are not intended to reduce the size of the hygroma, but to relieve the inflammatory reaction that can develop due to the compression of the surrounding tissues by the tumor. These methods of treatment include: warming up tissues, ultrasound treatment, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, paraffin therapy, taking salt and soda baths. Recently, such methods of influence have been abandoned, since the increased blood supply to the hygroma leads to the fact that it rapidly increases in size and grows.
• Conservative methods of treatment with the use of drugs can be used to eliminate aseptic, that is, non-purulent inflammation. For this purpose, drugs from the NSAID group (Nimesil, Diclofenac) are used to reduce pain and the intensity of the inflammatory reaction. To relieve swelling, antihistamines are used, for example, Clemastine.
• Antibiotics for hygroma infection are used only in a complex treatment regimen, along with surgical intervention.

As practice has shown, all these methods of treating hygroma are ineffective. In order to get rid of the tumor and minimize the likelihood of its recurrence, surgical intervention is necessary.

Operation to remove hygroma on the fingers

An operation to remove a hygroma is prescribed for the following indications:

• Limitation of mobility in the fingers.
• Pain during movement and at rest.
• A cosmetic defect that is a tumor.
• Rapid growth of hygroma.

Surgical intervention does not require hospitalization of the patient. The average time for it is 30 minutes. The patient is given local anesthesia, after which the tissue is dissected over the tumor and its membrane is removed along with the contents. Preliminary opening of the hygroma is not required. Then stitches are applied to the incision site and covered with a sterile bandage. The limb itself is fixed with a plaster cast. Immobilization is a prerequisite for removing hygroma on the fingers. After 7-10 days, the stitches are removed.

The modern method of removing a hygroma is its excision with a laser. During the procedure, the vessels will instantly be cauterized, which will prevent the development of bleeding. In addition, exposure to high temperatures minimizes the risk of wound infection. The procedure is carried out quickly. If the hygroma is small, then it will be possible to remove it in 15-20 minutes.

Prevention of finger hygroma

To minimize the risks of finger hygroma formation, the following recommendations must be followed:

• Eliminate situations that could lead to joint and tendon injury. For example, this applies to sports, as well as a person's professional activities.
• Hands should be restful after hard work to prevent joint and tendon inflammation.
• Diseases such as bursitis and tendovaginitis must be treated on time.

People with a hereditary predisposition should show particular vigilance in terms of the formation of a hygroma.

The author of the article: Bykov Evgeny Pavlovich | Oncologist, surgeon

Education: graduated from residency at the Russian Scientific Oncological Center. N. N. Blokhin "and received a diploma in the specialty" Oncologist"