Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of ganglion cysts include:

• Your sex and age. Ganglion cysts can develop in anyone, but they most commonly occur in women between the ages of 20 and 40.
• Osteoarthritis. People who have wear-and-tear arthritis in the finger joints closest to their fingernails are at higher risk of developing ganglion cysts near those joints.
• Joint or tendon injury. Joints or tendons that have been injured in the past are more likely to develop ganglion cysts.