Neuropathy in a cohort of restless leg syndrome patients

This study aims to evaluate the types of neuropathy in a cohort of restless leg syndrome (RLS) patients and compare them with primary RLS. RLS symptoms can occur in peripheral neuropathy and may cause diagnostic confusion, and there is a paucity of studies comparing neuropathic RLS and primary RLS. Patients with RLS diagnosed according to the international restless legs syndrome study group criteria were categorized as primary RLS or secondary. Those with evidence of peripheral neuropathy were categorized as neuropathic RLS. The demographic, clinical, laboratory profile and therapeutic response to dopamine agonists at 6 months and 1 year of neuropathic RLS patients were compared between primary and secondary RLS patients. There were 82 patients with RLS of whom 22 had peripheral neuropathy and 28 had primary RLS. The etiology of neuropathic RLS was diabetes mellitus in 13, renal failure in six, hypothyroidism in five, demyelinating in two, nutritional deficiency in three, leprosy in one, and miscellaneous etiologies in four patients. The neuropathic RLS patients were older (46.0±14.1 versus 35.8±15.4 years), had shorter duration of illness (1.4±1.4 versus 6.2±6.2 years) and were more frequently symptomatic. RLS symptoms were asymmetric in primary RLS patients compared to neuropathic RLS (25% versus 0%). The therapeutic response was similar in both groups.