Suggest Treatment For Swelling On The Back Of Knee

Posted on Sat, 20 Sep 2014

Question: The back of my right knee is swollen. It is not painful to touch, red, or hot. It is only my right knee. There's a bit of pain that goes down to my right foot/toes, it feels tense/kind of like it is asleep (I feel the need to crack my toes a lot.) The pain also goes up my thigh/hip and feels tense. My right knee feels unstable and it is strenuous to go up stairs. The instability in my right knee has been present for a couple days now, but I've just noticed swelling. And I don't know if this is relevant, but there is a circular rash on my left thigh that has been there since Monday and has gotten a bit more irritated, but not moved area-wise. It is slightly itchy and most prominent around the edge of the circle. It was a faint red/pink at first, but has turned darker (a bit purple.) I've recently applied on antifungal creme, but just once. At this point I am most concerned about my knee/leg, I have not done much physical activity in the past week (walking, sports, etc.) so I don't know how I could've injured it.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
You may be having meniscus cyst.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have studied your case, and I think you might be having cartilage damage in knee joint, and meniscus cyst. It is collection of synovial fluid around knee, due to a tear in meniscus.
I would suggest you to show it to arthroscopic surgeon and he might need to get MRI for your knee joint to confirm the diagnosis.
If there is any tear present then it can be treated by aspiration of the swelling and partial menisectomy. It is a very simple and short procedure needing very small cut. It does not need any bed rest.
For skin lesion, it is not related to knee condition.
I would suggest you to show it to a skin specialist. Do not apply fungal cream with our discussing with your doctor. It can be a contact dermatitis and can get flare up if fungal cream is applied.
I hope this answer your questions. Let me know if there is any other follow up questions.
Thanks.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E