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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > B > Baker's cyst

Baker's cyst   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Popliteal cyst

Definition:

An accumulation of joint fluid (synovial fluid) that forms behind the knee.

Causes and Risks

A cyst is a fluid collection and a Baker's cyst, also called a popliteal cyst, is a fluid collection behind the knee. This cyst may formed by the connection of a normal bursa (a normal lubricating fluid sac) with the knee joint (more common in children) or by the herniation of the knee joint capsule out into the back of the knee (more common in adults). The latter type of Baker's cyst is commonly associated with a tear in the meniscal cartilage of the knee.

Nearly one half of Baker's cysts are found in children, where it appears as a painless swelling behind the knee that is more obvious with the knee fully extended. A large cyst may cause some discomfort or stiffness but generally is asymptomatic. Baker's cysts usually disappear spontaneously after a variable length of time.

Ency. home > Disease > B > Baker's cyst

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