The term "Becker's cyst under the knee" in medicine refers to an inflammatory fluid that accumulates in the mucous bag, which is located just below the popliteal cavity. This bag "nests" between the tendons of the gastrocnemius and semimembranosus muscles and communicates with the joint through a small hole. If inflammation begins to develop in the knee joint, the formed fluid begins to collect in the intertendon bag - this is how a Becker cyst is formed under the knee.
Possible causes
There may be several factors that provoke the development of this disease. Among the most common, doctors call all kinds of injuries and inflammation of the menisci, as well as rheumatoid arthritis and gonarthrosis. Moreover, it is characteristic that the longer the patient postpones treatment and hopes for “it will pass by itself”, the higher the likelihood that he will face sucha complication like Becker's cyst under the knee.
Symptomatics
By what signs can this disease be diagnosed? At an early stage, the inflammatory process does not manifest itself in any way. However, as the fluid fills the sac, the cyst increases in size. It is natural that at the same time it becomes more and more difficult for a person to bend his leg: to sit down, get up, go down and up the stairs, and then just walk. On palpation, you can feel a small but dense formation in the popliteal cavity. Gradually Becker's cyst under the knee grows. As a result, pain occurs. If the necessary measures are not taken, the pain can develop from barely noticeable to unbearable. Symptoms also include foot numbness (the latter is due to the fact that the cyst can compress the nerve endings).
Complications
For a competent doctor, it will not be the slightest difficulty to make the correct diagnosis. Especially if there are obvious signs. In principle, in the presence of a visible pathology, a person himself can determine that he has a Becker cyst: a kind of tumor forms under the knee (the photo shows what the disease in question looks like). In no case should you postpone a visit to the doctor! After all, what threatens this disease? First, it disrupts the blood supply to the muscles and tendons, which causes severe pain, and eventually can lead to osteomyelitis and even blood poisoning. Secondly, venous outflow suffers: the leg turns blue from the knee, swells and becomes covered with trophic ulcers. Finally, manypatients who have started a cyst suffer from thrombosis and phlebitis, which, in turn, can provoke blockage of the vessel and even cause death.
Becker's cyst under the knee: treatment
The disease involves two options for therapy: conservative treatment and surgery. The first is based on the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and, as a rule, is considered not very effective. However, if your cyst remains small, it is quite possible to resort to the mentioned method. Conservative treatment also includes a puncture, that is, the removal of fluid from the bag using a special thick needle. The operation is usually indicated for patients suffering from various complications. There is no need to be afraid of it - this is a fairly simple procedure that takes about twenty minutes and is carried out under local anesthesia.
