Baker's cysts, pseudothrombophlebitis, pseudo-pseudothrombophlebitis: where do we stand?

The diagnostic approach and therapeutic attitudes to be assumed when facing the dilemma of deep vein thrombosis versus a complicated Baker's cyst remain unclear. We examined our own approach with 16 Baker's cysts [11 presenting with a "thrombophlebitis picture" (TP)] recently diagnosed in our services, and reviewed the literature. All of our patients had an underlying joint disorder and previous knee effusions. The diagnostic approach (i.e., the request or not for venography) was related to the specialty of the physician who saw the patient first. The results of the venography led to anticoagulation treatment in 5 of the 6 patients on whom it was performed, although these patients did not otherwise differ from those with a similar clinical picture in whom no venogram was obtained. Arthrograms performed early after onset of the TP were more likely to reveal cyst rupture. The recent literature does not mention serious venous complications (in particular, pulmonary embolism) in patients in whom only the cyst was treated, without knowledge of possible coexisting venous occlusions. The need to perform venography, the importance of the localisation of the occlusions and the therapeutic consequences are discussed and a proposal is made to study these patients in a systematic way in order to better understand the inter-relationship between complicated popliteal cysts and venous alterations, and to decide the best approach to assume in the future.