A lump filled with fluid at a joint, commonly the hand or wrist, is called what?

• A. Hemptysis
• B. Ganglion cyst
• C. Comminuted fracture
• D. Doheny fracture

Answer: (B)

A lump filled with fluid at a joint, especially on the hand or wrist, is most commonly a ganglion cyst. These arise from the joint capsule or a tendon sheath and contain a viscous, jelly-like fluid similar to synovial fluid. They tend to appear as a round, soft, sometimes fluctuant lump near a joint, and they may be painless or mildly tender. They can change in size with activity and sometimes transilluminate when light is shined through them. While usually benign, some people prefer treatment if the lump is bothersome or recurrent. Options range from simple observation to aspiration of the fluid with or without corticosteroid injection, or surgical excision if it persists or recurs.

The other terms don’t describe this finding: coughing up blood is hemoptysis and relates to the respiratory system, a comminuted fracture is a bone break into multiple pieces, and the term Doheny fracture isn’t a standard medical diagnosis.