title: Lumbar epidural block for 'painful legs and moving toes' syndrome: a report of three cases.
abstract: We report the effective use of epidural block in three patients with 'painful legs and moving toes' syndrome, which is characterized by involuntary movements of the toe (and sometimes of the foot) and excruciating pain in the leg. Several treatments had been unsuccessful in the management of the three patients reported including baclofen, benzodiazepines, carbamazepine and antidepressants. In two patients, lumbar sympathetic block was performed, the symptoms being alleviated temporarily in one patient. In contrast, injections of mepivacaine into epidural space suppressed pain and movements in all patients. In one patient, symptoms disappeared for many years after several epidural blocks. In the remaining two patients, epidural injections were repeated when the symptoms were severe.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Anesthesiology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine Mibu, Tochigi, 321-0293, Japan Department of Anesthesiology, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School, Inba-mura, Chiba, 270-1694, Japan Department of Anesthesiology, Kansai Medical University Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Ritsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000763:Anesthesia, Caudal; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D059408:Pain Management; D014034:Toes