Painful polyneuropathy associated with restless legs syndrome. Clinical features and sensory profile

Painful Restless Legs Syndrome

“…41 Similarly, patients with RLS secondary to painful peripheral neuropathy with thermal dysesthesia sensations (burning sensations) frequently have small fiber neuropathy. 12 In the AFE sample, we could not distinguish between primary and secondary RLS (especially associated with neuropathy), and this group had a significantly lower family history of RLS than the clinical series group. 3 Thus, some AFE members who have painful "burning" RLS sensations may have a concomitant subclinical neuropathy (particularly a small fiber neuropathy).…”

“…11 In addition, RLS has been associated with several painful conditions. It is more prevalent in patients with painful sensory neuropathies, particularly of small fibers, 12 migraine, [13][14][15] and fibromyalgia. 16 Electrophysiological studies 17,18 have shown that patients with primary RLS or RLS associated with small fiber neuropathy exhibit a static hyperalgesia to pinprick which is also found in neuropathic pain syndromes and peripheral neuropathies in general.…”

Neuropathy in a cohort of restless leg syndrome patients

“…RLS has also been reported in neuropathy patients due to cryoglobulinemia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease [19,20], chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy [21], Fabry's disease with neuropathy [22] and small fiber neuropathy [23]. The prevalence of RLS is higher in hereditary neuropathy and small fiber painful neuropathy [24].…”

Genetic Variation in Iron Metabolism Is Associated with Neuropathic Pain and Pain Severity in HIV-Infected Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy

“…HIV infection itself induces cellular iron dysregulation, possibly via downregulation of macrophage Hfe expression by the viral Nef protein and induction of the pro-inflammatory, iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin [45]–[47]. Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities that are relieved by movement, has been reported in some studies to be more prevalent in HIV-infected individuals with painful neuropathy and has been likened to a unique form of neuropathic pain [48], [49]. Systemic iron deficiency, brain iron deficiency, and activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor pathway have been linked to the development of RLS, and in a significant subset of patients, iron supplementation alleviates symptoms [50]–[52].…”