Restless legs syndrome: an unusual cause for a perplexing syndrome.

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a well-defined symptom complex, occurring either as idiopathic RLS or in association with many other disorders. Although no definite etiology is known for this condition, several pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed. There is supportive evidence that RLS is a central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction, suggesting involvement of the descending dopaminergic (DA) pathways, but it can also occur with spinal disorders. We present a patient suffering from RLS who eventually was diagnosed with a foramen magnum tumor. Based on the available evidence, we attempt to correlate the location of the tumor with the patient's symptoms of RLS.