Bone Cyst
A bone cyst is a fluid-filled hole forming in bones, primarily affecting children and teenagers. They are not usually severe, but sometimes they require treatments with surgery.
So, a bone cyst often doesn’t require any treatments if it’s small and doesn’t cause problems since they get better on its own, especially in children and teenagers. You might need regular X-rays for a few years to check the bone’s healing process.
Bone cyst treatments
A bone cyst needs treatment if:
- The bone is weak and fragile if the cyst is big or getting bigger.
- It causes problems like swelling, pain, or a lump.
The primary treatments:
- Draining fluids with a needle and injecting medicines into the bone for the healing process; this process may
- Scraping or cutting out the cyst and replacing it with other bone from your body, a donor, or a bone with a cement mixture.
Bone cysts causes
The bone cyst’s exact cause is unknown, but they are not cancer and don’t spread to other body parts. The primary types of cysts can have different causes as follows:
- Unicameral bone cysts: Fluid-filled holes that might form if the fluids don’t drain properly from a bone while growing.
- Aneurysmal bone cysts: Blood-filled holes due to blood vessels problem in the bone.
Consult a doctor if
You get a lump, swelling, or pain after treatments; this can mean the cyst came back or there is an infection from the surgery. It’s common for bone cysts to return, especially in the first two years after the treatment.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022