Can ganglion cysts on the wrist sign for rheumatoid arthritis?
Patient: My daughter was just told she had an elevated ANA , her rheumatologist was unavailable for consultation. She showed the test results to an orthopedist who she was seeing for a ganglion cyst on her wrist,He stated it meant she had rheumatoid arthritis . Can you advise? . Doctor: Hello,  An elevated ANA alone doesn't definitely mean that she has rheumatoid arthritis. To diagnose that you need multiple lab tests, the ANA is just one of them.   There are many auto immune disease that have an elevated ANA, and if she is having a lot of pain she could have one of them.   The good news is that there are many drugs to treat autoimmune diseases. I would try and see your PCP and see if they can help get you in to see a rheumatologist.   Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.  Take care  Regards, Dr Daniel Richard Paull, Orthopaedic Surgeon