There is broad differential for cyst-like lesions around the knee.
Differential diagnosis
Cysts
- synovial cyst
- ganglion cyst
- meniscal cyst/parameniscal cyst
- intraosseous cyst
- infective cyst - abscess
Cyst-like lesions
- distended knee bursae
- suprapatellar bursa/suprapatellar bursitis
- prepatellar bursa/prepatellar bursitis
- superficial infrapatellar bursa/superficial infrapatellar bursitis
- deep infrapatellar bursa/deep infrapatellar bursitis
- anserine bursa/pes anserinus bursitis
- iliotibial bursa/iliotibial bursitis
- semimembranosus-tibial collateral ligament (SMTCL) bursa/semimembranosus-tibial collateral ligament (SMTCL) bursitis
- medial collateral ligament bursa/medial collateral ligament bursitis
- fibular collateral ligament-biceps femoris bursa/fibular collateral ligament)-biceps femoris bursitis
- cystic haematoma/post-traumatic cyst
- normal recesses
- popliteal arterial aneurysm - pseudoaneurysm
- popliteal venous varix
- solid lesions with cyst-like components
- cystic degeneration or myxoid stroma in tumours such as
- synovial sarcoma
- dedifferentiated sarcoma
- myxoid liposarcoma
- metastases
- benign synovial haemangioma
- cystic degeneration or myxoid stroma in tumours such as