Restless legs symptoms in a patient with above knee amputations: a case of phantom restless legs.
We describe a 78-year-old gentleman who, following bilateral above-knee amputations, developed symptoms of restless legs syndrome in the absent portions of his lower extremities. These symptoms improved with dopamine agonist therapy. In addition, he later developed parkinsonism with prominent rest tremor on metoclopramide. This suggests that this individual had a dopamine-deficient state which predisposed him to both restless legs syndrome and drug-induced or drug-exacerbated parkinsonism. We propose expanding the spectrum of phantom limb phenomena to include phantom restless legs.
Hanna
Philip A
PA
New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, JFK Medical Center, Edison, NJ, USA. phanna@solarishs.org
Kumar
Sanjeev
S
Walters
Arthur S
AS
D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010591:Phantom Limb / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077487:Pramipexole; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D052160:Benzothiazoles; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077487:Pramipexole