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Restless leg syndrome in spinal cord injury: case report
Shane McNamara1, Beverly Hon2,3, Steven Kirshblum2,4
1Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Newark, NJ, USA. shanemcnamara97@gmail.com.
Case Description:
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a condition infrequently reported in spinal cord injury that causes an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and an urge to move them. We report a case involving a 63-year-old man with incomplete paraplegia with an onset of RLS four years post injury.
Findings:
Based upon history, pramipexole was prescribed for the presumptive diagnosis of RLS, with good effect. Initial workup revealed an anemia (hemoglobin of 9.3 gram/deciliter (g/dl)) and iron deficiency (ferritin of 10 microgram/liter (μg/L)), necessitating further evaluation.
Conclusion:
Due to the complexities in diagnosing RLS in patients with SCI, it is important to be cognizant of symptoms and to consider this diagnosis to initiate the appropriate work-up for an etiology, of which iron deficiency anemia is common.
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