Radiology, Vol 154, 175-177, Copyright © 1985 by Radiological Society of North America
Synovial cysts of the knee: CT evaluation
M Schwimmer, G Edelstein, JP Heiken and LA Gilula
Eight patients with synovial cysts about the knee were studied by computed
tomography (CT). Six of the eight patients had cysts in atypical locations,
four medial and two anterior. Knee arthrography, performed on five
patients, demonstrated the cyst in only two cases. In all patients CT
defined the location and extent of the cyst, demonstrating the following
benign features: a well-defined homogeneous mass with attenuation values
approximating that of water, preservation of adjacent soft-tissue planes,
and absence of bone involvement. The authors conclude that CT is useful in
the evaluation of a suspected synovial cyst when its position is atypical
or when arthrography fails to demonstrate or completely delineate the cyst.
CT provided diagnostic accuracy and determination of the optimal operative
approach.
