Sonographic findings in examination of digital ganglia: retrospective study.

A retrospective sonographic study of soft tissue masses of the hand was undertaken. A spherical fluid-filled structure with a well-defined wall was seen in 13 patients and the cases were diagnosed as ganglia. This diagnosis had been generally suspected clinically in the presence of a firm nonpainful lump. This study indicates that ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool for the study of soft-tissue masses of the hand and in the differential diagnosis of other soft tissue lesions, such as pigmented villonodular synovitis or tenosynovitis.