Peroneal intraneural ganglia: The importance of the articular branch. Clinical series

Object. The peroneal nerve is the most common site of intraneural ganglia. The neurological deficit associated with these cysts is often severe and the operation to eradicate them is difficult. The aims of this multicenter study were to collate the authors' experience with a relatively rare lesion and to improve clinical outcomes by better understanding its controversial pathogenesis. Methods. Part I of this paper offers a description of 24 patients with peroneal intraneural ganglia who were treated by surgeons aware of the importance of the peroneal nerve's articular branch. Part II offers a description of three more patients who were seen after earlier operations in which the ganglion was excised, but the articular branch was not identified (all reportedly gross-total resections). Twenty-six of the 27 patients presented with clinical, electrophysiological, and imaging evidence of a common peroneal nerve (CPN) lesion, predominantly affecting the deep peroneal nerve (DPN) division, and one patient present...