Baker’s Cyst

[Orpheus82]

l have just had a ruptured Baker’s Cyst. I had a swollen, painful leg and ankle and was convinced I had a DVT. Fortunately an ultrasound confirmed it was a ruptured cyst and the fluid had tracked down into the leg. I had had an uncomfortable knee for several months but my rheumatologist on his last telephone consult wasn’t very interested and dismissed my request for an orthopaedic referral 🙄 Anyway my question is….have many of you with PMR had a Baker’s cyst? All the literature mentions rheumatoid arthritis as a cause but not PMR.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I do know of a few people with PMR who have had Baker's cysts - not on this forum though.

[LucilleG]

I have developed a baker cyst. I was diagnosed with PMR May 2021, with the first symptoms showing up in January 2021. I am a runner but haven't run since Jan 2021. I do walk a lot - since being on prednisone, I walk 10 km a day. I noticed a lump behind my knee in July 2022. I was seeing a physiotherapist for something else and ask them to check it out and they said it was indeed a baker cyst (this was in Aug 2022). There isn't any pain around the cyst, but the front of my knee has been a tiny bit sore, so I have decided I should see a GP - I have a phone appt next week. Hopefully I'll get to see someone in person, but for now, I've sent pics in preparation of the phone appt.

[Orpheus82 in reply to LucilleG]

That’s interesting as mine seemed to come on as a result of running which I have now had to stop. My cyst didn’t really form the classic lump at the back of the knee but more a generalised swelling and puffiness around the knee. Hope you are granted a face to face appointment. I think if the rheumatologist had seen mine he might have thought differently about a referral.

[PMRCanada]

I was diagnosed with PMR in May/18 which started with painful, stiff knees. While on initial dose of 20mg, then 15mg in first few months pain in my knees, especially the right one continued. GP sent me for MRI of knees after X-ray revealed very little. Sure enough they were in bad shape including every kind of meniscal tear, OA, and a bakers cyst behind right knee (no mention of it bursting. I was scheduled for total knee replacement but lost 35 pounds and knee pain went away. Before it did I had 3 Medrol injections in right knee.

No problems with knees while on pred, but since my last reduction I’m feeling the old, familiar pain in right knee but not as severe. I’m expecting it May get worse the lower I taper, but time will tell. I was told that due to the OA and aging eventually I will have to deal with my knees.

[2013mayo]

hi,

I too had a bakers cysts, I used to walk 3-5 miles a day and the cysts got bigger and bigger, it started to go down into my calf, my doc referred me to knee surgeon and he removed it, it took quite a while to settle afterwards and I ended up back in hospital for a week on bed rest having to lay on my front with my leg elevated.

It’s all fine now and I never think about it.

Hope your recovery goes well.

X

[Megams]

Hi Orpheus82 - PMR diagnosed early 2015 - somewhere along the way my knees have developed arthritis & it's only the steroids that appear to have kept any discomfort (mostly) under control.

My Orthopedic surgeon ordered scans (about 4 years ago) & has told me I need new joints. He did comment that I have a Bakers cyst behind the R knee .

Hasn't caused issues yet but he did say that if it burst it becomes absorbed into the body & the only way to completely get rid of it is with knee replacement.

Hope yours resolves soon - good luck ~

[Lochy]

I too have had a bakers cyst but it developed with a swollen, puffy and painful knee. I’m also or should I say used to be a runner and a squash player!! Ran a bit in the early days of PMR but very quickly had to give up and now I rely on walking for my exercise. It’s very hard to lose your hobbies.

I had a couple of steroid injections in my knee which helped for a few months but the inflammation crept back. I pursued an MRI privately with an orthopaedic surgeon. It confirmed synovitis, a bakers cyst and a couple of meniscal tears. In his opinion nothing that he would treat and that I needed to get the inflammation under control which I did with increased dose of steroids. Gradually things settled of their own accord. Knees have behaved themselves. Feet have taken over! My theory is the PMR moves around my body. I’ve started a biologic, etanercept, last January and overall things are much improved. I’m on 4.5/4mg of prednisolone. My rheumatologist believes I have polymyalgic onset inflammatory arthritis, although I don’t think she’s absolutely convinced about that either!! For now my knees are behaving and for that I’m thankful. I’m currently on holiday in Sicily and have been walking average 15000 steps daily. Good luck with your treatment and hope the cyst doesn’t return.

[Orpheus82 in reply to Lochy]

I’m with you on the ‘moving’ around the body. My PMR was textbook at the onset but after six years it seems to like to niggle me in different joints! Currently it’s just my left shoulder but prior to that my right hip. Don’t think that’s very scientific but that’s what it feels like. Interesting that some have had Baker’s cyst although that could just be representative of the general population. I’m sure it was running during lockdown that started mine. I’ll stick to walking and sea swimming. Sicily…..lucky you!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Orpheus82]

When that happens - especially if you can identify the pain as being in joints rather than muscles, it may well be a sign you have palindromic rheumatism. There have been a couple of people on the forum who had their PMR diagnosis revised to PR! They are around - there aren't any forums for PR.

[Maxgate2]

I had a ruptured Baker’s Cyst in January 2020, 18 months before my PMR was diagnosed. I had been playing tennis for three hours, sat down to have some lunch and had tw bouts of what felt like cramp in my knee. It was excruciating. It led to severe pain in my leg, it stiffened and I couldn’t move it at all. I was taken by ambulance to A & E and admitted. Blood tests ruled out a DVT and an x-ray of my knee and leg was fine. The orthopaedics thought it was a ruptured Baker’s cyst, I was given morphine for the pain and the movement returned in my leg about 36 hours later. I have had no recurrence. When I saw a rheumatologist in September 2021 he thought it could have been tied into my PMR. I hope that you are better. It was the most painful thing I have ever had!

[Orpheus82 in reply to Maxgate2]

Fortunately mine hasn’t been too painful but too had dreadful cramp about five days prior to the rupture and that really was excruciating.

[Manihiki]

the first I knew I had a Baker’s cyst was when my ankle was swollen and on investigation my rheumatologist said it had ruptured in my knee and leaked down. I have GCA.

[artfingers]

Yes, I have a Baker's cysts behind each knee which are really annoying. They get larger and smaller. The right one currently is worse (can barely walk of late). This summer when climbing in Maine I overdid it and the whole knee and leg swelled up like a balloon so I went to the Emergency Room. Took xrays just said to ice it and sent me off to follow up with an orthopedic dr. I need a knee replacement in both knees (too much hiking, running and falling over the years has torn ACL, PCL and a bunch of ligaments). I'm getting the right knee replaced day before Thanksgiving. My orthopedic surgeon doesn't drain Baker's cysts but does recommend ice packs on the front and back of my knees which helps (15 minutes at a time). I absolutely would see an orthopedic doctor as you could have torn ligaments, etc. and physical therapy does help for that (which I am doing), or there are other things they can spot with an MRI. I agree with the PMR moving around. Mine seems to seek out weakness in my body and attack it! Sick of it.

[Orpheus82 in reply to artfingers]

Thank you for that useful information. I’ve got another ultrasound on Wednesday and will be asking for a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon although doubtless there will be a massive wait. Hope all goes well with your knee replacement and you’re soon up and about again.

[LemonZest11]

I have a Bakers Cyst that is so annoying ( ruptured earlier this year, ouch, but came back), but I am trying to just suck it up. One surgeon was gung ho about surgery for the torn meniscus found after mri, which apparently is the culprit, so I sought a second opinion who said that repeated arthroscopic surgeries would lead to a knee joint replacement and that that was not for me. So he gave me a couple of cortisone needles, one in each knee (at my request), and I enjoyed a couple of great weeks. Now back to square one but, in the big picture, it's not too bad, and not dangerous.

[Orpheus82 in reply to LemonZest11]

Thank you. That’s really useful information. I am seeking a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon but am keeping an open mind. It’s not too painful at the moment but still swollen and puffy. I’m 65 and I’m not keen on a knee replacement at the moment! I would like to be able to walk longer distances though.