Surgical Management of Popliteal Cyst in Pediatric Age Group: A Series of Ten Cases

The popliteal cyst (PC) is an abnormal dilation of the gastrocnemio-semimembranosus bursa, which is located in the popliteal fossa. It may manifest as an acute and dramatic condition or a chronically persistent or relapsing swelling. Inadvertent diagnoses of cysts in children are common. The available treatments include arthroscopic and open surgical excision, as well as nonsurgical or less invasive methods. Children with PCs rarely have accompanying intra-articular pathology, in contrast to adults; hence, open surgical removal over arthroscopy is favored. Here, we highlight 10 cases of PCs as well as share our experiences regarding diagnosis and surgical outcomes.