A baker’s cyst is a swelling caused by fluid (synovial fluid) from the knee joint protruding back of the knee, i.e. to the popliteal region.

It commonly occurs with the tear in the menisceal cartilage of the knee. In older group of people, the baker’s cyst can be associated with knee arthritis or degenerative arthritis.

Symptoms

The symptoms comprises of swelling behind the knee region. The swelling may appear to be painful or painless. The cyst usually appears like a water filled balloon. There is a tightness felt behind the knee especially when one flexes or extends his knee.

The bulge can be easily seen when the person is in standing position and when compared with the other normal knee.

However, this condition should not be confused with deep venous thrombosis where the symptoms are the same, such as pain and swelling. When it is a blood clot, it is a more serious condition and requires immediate medical attention.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis can be made with the help of an ultrasound, arthrogram or MRI.

The MRI scan is useful in viewing the cyst that is caused due to a menisceal tear.

Treatment

The treatment is based on the causative factor of the disease. i.e. the Treatment should be based on the causative factors. If the cause of the disease is cartilage tear, then it should be fixed.

If the causative factor is arthritis, it should be treated. So in such cases, the cyst usually fades away by itself.

The treatment varies from person to person and depends on the individual conditions. For e.g. if the cyst appears small then surgery is not usually advisable because of the factor, that it may injure the nearby vessels or nerves.

Removal of the cyst is done when it very large and causes severe symptoms such as pain, swelling and limited range of motion of the knee.

In some cases, the cyst is drained and medications are also given to relieve pain and inflammation.

A large cyst can be removed by a surgery or by an arthroscopic surgery.