Preoperative Imaging of Intraneural Ganglion Cysts: A Critical Systematic Analysis of the World Literature.

Preoperative imaging plays an important role in establishing the diagnosis of intraneural ganglion cyst as well as treatment planning. Imaging has proved superior to the sole reliance of operative exposure to identify a joint connection, which is necessary to treat the underlying disease. Failure to identify cyst connections on imaging can result in an inability to truly address the underlying pathoanatomy at the time of definitive surgery, leading to a risk for clinical recurrence. Therefore, management should be guided by an intersection between new knowledge presented in the literature, clinical expertise, and surgeon experience.