Can restless legs be a sign of something else? A case report of spondyloarthritis presenting with restless legs syndrome and a review of the literature

Submitted: 21 January 2023
Accepted: 30 August 2023
Published: 19 December 2023
Abstract Views: 1579
PDF: 454
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a chronic movement disorder characterized by an urge or need to move the limbs, usually associated with uncomfortable sensations in the legs and sleep disorders. In general, two clinical forms of RLS are described: primary and secondary. Although primary RLS has a familial component, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood but seems to be related to abnormalities in the dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways of the central nervous system. The secondary forms of the syndrome are associated with iron deficiency, renal failure, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and several rheumatologic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome. In a few clinical trials, an increased frequency of RLS has been reported in patients with spondyloarthritis. In this report, a case of coexistence of spondyloarthritis and RLS is presented, showing satisfactory improvement with conservative treatment and additionally adding naproxen. Anemia of chronic disease occurring in rheumatic diseases, and associated iron deficiency may contribute to the development of RLS.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Guo S, Huang J, Jiang H, Han C, Li J, Xu X, et al. Restless legs syndrome: from pathophysiology to clinical diagnosis and management. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9: 171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00171
Khan MA. Update on spondyloarthropathies. Ann Int Med 2002; 136: 896-907. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-136-12-200206180-00011
Rudwaleit M. New approaches to diagnosis and classification of axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2010; 22: 375-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0b013e32833ac5cc
Tekatas A, Pamuk ON. Increased frequency of restless leg syndrome in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Int J Rheum Dis 2015; 18: 58-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.12323
Demirci S, Demirci K, Doğru A, İnal EE, Koyuncuoğlu HR, Şahin M. Restless legs syndrome is associated with poor sleep quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a questionnaire-based study. Acta Neurol Belg 2016; 116: 329-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-015-0564-3
Yüksel GA, Kurtuluş D, Tireli H. Sleep quality and restless legs syndrome in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Haydarpaşa Numune Med J 2019; 59: 78-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14744/hnhj.2018.93723
Zontul S, Altay Z. Evaluation of the relationship between disorder parameters and sleeping quality in ankylosing spondylitis patients. KSU Med J 2021; 16: 311-5. [Article in Turkish]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17517/ksutfd.803282
Allen RP, Picchietti DL, Garcia-Borreguero D, Ondo WG, Walters AS, Winkelman JW, et al. Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease diagnostic criteria: updated International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) consensus criteria--history, rationale, description, and significance. Sleep Med 2014; 15: 860-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2014.03.025
Raychaudhuri SP, Deodhar A. The classification and diagnostic criteria of ankylosing spondylitis. J Autoimmun 2014; 48-49: 128-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2014.01.015
Hening WA, Caivano CK. Restless legs syndrome: a common disorder in patients with rheumatologic conditions. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2008; 38: 55-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2007.09.001
Gjevre JA, Gjevre RMT. Restless legs syndrome as a comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune Dis 2013; 2013: 352782. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/352782
Connor JR, Boyer PJ, Menzies SL, Dellinger B, Allen RP, Ondo WG, et al. Neuropathological examination suggests impaired brain iron acquisition in restless legs syndrome. Neurology 2003; 61: 304-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/01.WNL.0000078887.16593.12
Weinstock LB, Walters AS, Paueksakon P. Restless legs syndrome - theoretical roles of inflammatory and immune mechanisms. Sleep Med Rev 2012; 16: 341-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2011.09.003
Gemignani F, Vitetta F, Brindani F, Contini M, Negrotti A. Painful polyneuropathy associated with restless legs syndrome. Clinical features and sensory profile. Sleep Med 2013; 14: 79-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2012.08.013
Wali S, Alsafadi S, Abaalkhail B, Ramadan I, Abulhamail B, Kousa M, et al. The association between vitamin D level and restless legs syndrome: a population-based-case-control study. J Clin Sleep Med 2018; 14: 557-64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.7044
Urashima K, Ichinose K, Kondo H, Maeda T, Kawakami A, Ozawa H. The prevalence of insomnia and restless legs syndrome among Japanese outpatients with rheumatic disease: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2020; 15: e0230273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230273

How to Cite

Yılmaz, E. (2023). Can restless legs be a sign of something else? A case report of spondyloarthritis presenting with restless legs syndrome and a review of the literature. Reumatismo, 75(4). https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2023.1557

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.