This is test content. It hasn't been reviewed yet, and will be replaced with reviewed content.

Ganglion Cyst

Soft Tissue Conditions· Also known as: ganglion, foot ganglionUpdated Nov 2026

Not reviewed yet: test content

At a Glance

A ganglion cyst is a smooth, fluid-filled lump that forms under the skin near a joint or tendon. It is benign, which means it is not cancer. It happens most often on the wrist and hand, and less often in the foot, where it usually sits on the top of the midfoot. Many ganglia cause no pain, and many settle on their own. If one is sore or bothers you, there are treatments your podiatrist can talk through. Any new lump on your foot should still be examined.

What is it?

A ganglion cyst is a smooth, fluid-filled lump that grows under the skin near a joint or tendon. It is benign, which means it is not cancer. In the foot, it often sits on the top of the midfoot.

The lump is filled with a thick, jelly-like fluid. It comes from a weak spot in the joint capsule (the lining that surrounds a joint) or the tendon sheath (the sleeve around a tendon), which lets fluid balloon out.

Ganglia are thought to come from wear in the tissue, not from a tumour. Cancer is very rare in lumps like this.

Who does it affect?

Ganglia are most often found on the wrist and hand, and it isn't clear yet how risk differs by age. The foot is affected less often, though they do happen there.

They tend to appear in areas of frequent physical stress. An earlier injury, rubbing or irritation around a tendon, or arthritis in a nearby joint may be linked to one forming. Who is most at risk of a ganglion in the foot isn't clear yet.

Signs and symptoms

A ganglion usually feels like a smooth, firm lump under the skin. In the foot it is most often on the top of the midfoot. It can be as small as a pea or as big as a golf ball, and sometimes it can't be seen at all.

The lump often appears without any recent injury. The skin over it is usually its normal colour and doesn't feel warm. It may get bigger and smaller over time, and it can sometimes disappear on its own.

Most ganglia cause no symptoms. Some hurt when you walk or when a shoe presses on them. Some press on a nearby nerve, which can cause numbness, tingling or pins and needles, or weakness.

A rarer type forms inside a nerve. Nerve-type pain on the outer side of the foot or ankle, with swelling, can have this cause.

If you notice numbness, tingling, weakness, or any change in the lump, see the 'When to see a podiatrist' section.

What causes it?

The exact cause isn't known. Ganglia usually appear on their own, without a clear trigger.

The leading idea is that a weak spot in the joint lining or tendon sleeve lets fluid leak out. The fluid collects in a sac and forms the lump. The tissue around it may also wear and break down into a jelly-like material.

Injury, rubbing or overuse are thought to play a part, as if the body forms a kind of internal blister. These are ideas, not proven causes.

A ganglion can also form inside a nerve. It is usually linked to wear or injury in a nearby joint, and the idea is that fluid escapes through a weak spot and usually moves into the nerve.

How is it diagnosed?

A new lump on your foot or ankle shouldn't be assumed to be a ganglion; the 'When to see a podiatrist' section covers when to get it looked at.

Your podiatrist will ask how long it has been there, how big it is, and about any injury, pain or numbness. They will check whether it is smooth and firm, whether the skin looks normal, and whether light shines through it. A ganglion usually lets light through; a solid lump does not.

Draining the lump with a needle and getting thick, clear gel supports the diagnosis. If none comes out when it usually would, a solid lump is considered.

Other lumps can look similar, including arthritic change, gout lumps and benign (harmless) growths. Rarely, a lump is something more serious. If the diagnosis is unclear, or the lump is solid, you will be sent for imaging, and sometimes a biopsy (a small tissue sample).

Treatment

Looking after it at home

If your ganglion doesn't hurt, it can safely be left alone. Many settle on their own, so waiting and watching is reasonable. If it is sore, ask a pharmacist what simple pain relief or gels are safe for you. For changes to watch for, see the 'When to see a podiatrist' section.

Treatment from your podiatrist

Your podiatrist will assess the lump and check it isn't something else. If it is painful, limits what you can do or has changed, they will arrange further assessment. They may refer you to an orthopaedic or foot and ankle surgical service if it keeps coming back or causes nerve symptoms.

Other options

Aspiration means draining the fluid with a needle. It often doesn't stop the lump coming back: about 6 in 10 return. In adults with wrist ganglia, draining may not lower the chance of the lump coming back any more than reassurance alone.

Ganglia on the top of a finger or toe shouldn't be drained, because of the high risk of joint infection. Only a trained clinician should drain or inject one. They need to know the anatomy to avoid nerve injury, and to check whether the lump arises from a joint or tendon, because injecting can risk a tendon tearing.

Surgery

Having the ganglion removed lowers the chance of it coming back compared with draining, but it has risks. How well surgery works for ganglia in the foot isn't certain. Ganglia on the wrist in adults are less likely to come back after surgery than after draining, though some still do. Complications were about 4, 14 and 3 per cent. How recovery compares between these options isn't clear yet.

Your surgeon needs detailed knowledge of the lump and nearby nerves first. Ask the team about recovery, walking on the foot and footwear.

Recovery

The outlook is generally good. Many ganglia settle without any treatment. Somewhere between a third and more than half of ganglia settle on their own, though it is less clear how often this happens in the foot. In the wrist, those that settle on their own may often do so within a couple of years.

So your ganglion may settle on its own, and draining it may not stop it coming back.

If a lump comes back or grows after treatment, it needs to be checked again. It shouldn't be assumed to be the same ganglion returning.

Preventing it

Nothing is proven to prevent a ganglion cyst, because the cause isn't well understood. It also isn't clear yet whether any exercises or changes to your activity stop one coming back, so it isn't possible to promise that anything will.

When to see a podiatrist

When to book

Book an appointment with your podiatrist if:

your symptoms keep coming back
foot pain is stopping you from doing your usual activities
you can't find comfortable shoes, or a lump or bump on your foot makes shoes hard to wear

When to get help sooner

Get urgent medical assessment (see your GP today, or go to an urgent care clinic or the nearest emergency department) if:

a joint suddenly becomes hot, swollen and very painful, and you have a fever or feel unwell: go straight away, without waiting for an appointment
numbness or tingling in your foot or leg spreads quickly, or comes with new weakness

See your GP soon if:

a lump on your foot or leg is growing, or looks or feels unusual
you have pain at night or at rest that doesn't settle
you have had cancer before and notice a new lump, or pain that doesn't settle

See your podiatrist or GP soon if:

you have new numbness, tingling, pins and needles or weakness in your foot that has come on gradually

Frequently asked questions

Do I need treatment if my ganglion doesn't hurt?

Usually not. A painless ganglion can safely be left alone, and waiting and watching is a reasonable choice. It is still worth having a new lump examined once, so you know what it is. For changes to watch for, see the 'When to see a podiatrist' section.

Can I tell for myself that it is a ganglion?

Not reliably. Other lumps can look and feel much the same, so a ganglion can't be confirmed by looking at it. Having a podiatrist examine it is the way to be sure. Should anything change, the same section tells you what to do.

Will draining it fix it for good?

Often not. Many ganglia fill up again after being drained. If yours keeps coming back or bothers you, your podiatrist can talk through the other choices with you, including having it removed.

Do I have to stop walking because of it?

If it doesn't hurt, you can leave it alone and carry on as usual. If walking or shoes make it sore, your podiatrist can talk through your options. The 'When to see a podiatrist' section lists what to look out for.