--- title: "Treatment for Ganglion Cyst | Sutter Health" description: "I have had a lump on my left wrist for over a year. It was bigger at one time and now is small. Sometimes in protrudes through the skin. Should I be worried about this? It doesn't hurt." url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212" --- 1. Home / 2. Treatment for Ganglion Cyst # Treatment for Ganglion Cyst * * * Medically reviewed by - Joshua C. Richards, M.D. ## Question I have had a lump on my left wrist for over a year. It was bigger at one time and now is small. Sometimes in protrudes through the skin. Should I be worried about this? It doesn't hurt. ## Answer It is most likely a ganglion cyst, which is a benign, fluid-filled sac that extends from the wrist joint. They tend to wax and wane in size and if it is large enough, it can be drained. Back in the wild west days it is rumored they would smash them with a bible. However, if it doesn't hurt, I would recommend leaving it alone. If it continues to enlarge or starts to hurt, have a hand surgeon check it out. ## Explore related topics Hand, Wrist, ElbowBones, joints and muscles ## Meet our care team Joshua C. Richards, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery Hand Surgery ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Recurrence of a Ganglion Cyst I had wrist surgery in January for a ganglion cyst on the inside of my wrist. It was painful and affected my quality of life. It was healing well until six weeks ago. The cyst has returned and is causing the same symptoms prior to surgery. What can I do? - Health Q&A ### Numbness and Tingling in the Hands I wake up with my right hand numb. My thumb and middle finger seem the worst. It takes awhile for the numbness to wear off. I work in a grocery store, so I'm always on my feet and on the register. What should I do? - Health Q&A ### Swollen Elbow (Olecranon Bursitis) My right elbow has been swollen for a few days, and it feels like it’s full of fluid. I don’t remember injuring it, and I don’t really feel any pain. I tried icing it, but the swelling did not go down. What could this be, and should I see my doctor? - Health Q&A ### Olecranon Bursitis Symptoms and Treatment What is olecranon bursitis and how is it treated? - Health Q&A ### ACL Tear or Arthritis in Knee? I had an X-ray and MRI on my right knee for severe pain. The radiologist said there was an ACL tear, but my doctor attributed it to arthritis. I don't have swelling and the pain is intermittent. If it were arthritis, wouldn't I have other symptoms? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Treatment for Ganglion Cyst"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212","name":"Treatment for Ganglion Cyst","description":"It is most likely a ganglion cyst, which is a benign, fluid-filled sac that extends from the wrist joint.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212#question","name":"Treatment for Ganglion Cyst","text":"I have had a lump on my left wrist for over a year. It was bigger at one time and now is small. Sometimes in protrudes through the skin. Should I be worried about this? It doesn't hurt.","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/treatment-for-ganglion-cyst-1051061212#answer","text":"It is most likely a ganglion cyst, which is a benign, fluid-filled sac that extends from the wrist joint. They tend to wax and wane in size and if it is large enough, it can be drained. Back in the wild west days it is rumored they would smash them with a bible. However, if it doesn't hurt, I would recommend leaving it alone. 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