The Limited Utility of Routine Pathologic Examination of Ganglion Cyst Excision From the Hand and Digits.

Our study suggests abandoning routine pathologic analysis in patients undergoing ganglion cyst excision from the hand will not compromise quality of care when the surgeon is able to make a confident diagnosis. Discrepant diagnoses were rare and discordant diagnoses that did not occur. We recommend pathologic evaluation only when there is uncertainty in the clinical diagnosis.