The Influence of Parathyroidectomy on Restless Legs Syndrome in Patients with Renal Hyperparathyroidism

Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common and poorly understood movement disorder that leads to unpleasant leg sensations. Although RLS can be idiopathic, secondary etiologies such as iron deficiency and renal failure are common. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate whether RLS is a common feature in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism (rHPT) and if RLS-related symptoms can be influenced by surgery. Methods After providing written consent, patients who underwent a parathyroidectomy for rHPT between January and November 2011 answered a validated RLS-screening-questionnaire (RLSSQ). If this was suggestive for RLS a confirming questionnaire (IRLS) was also completed on the day before surgery, on the fifth postoperative day, and again during follow-up (minimum 12 months). Perioperative parathyroid hormone and calcium levels, as well as the scores of the questionnaires were analyzed. Results Twenty-one patients (14 men, 7 women) with a mean age of 47.8 ± 3.2 years underwent total parathyroidectomy with bilateral cervical thymectomy and parathyroid autotransplantation for rHPT. The mean score of the RLSSQ of all 21 patients prior to operation was 6.1 ± 0.5. In 10 of 21 patients (47.6 %) the results of the RLSSQ were suggestive for RLS with a mean score of 8.0 ± 0.3. The consecutive scores of the IRLS in these latter patients significantly dropped from 26.6 ± 1.4 to 19.0 ± 2.2 between the preoperative and postoperative settings ( p < 0.05). After a mean follow-up of 17.3 ± 3.7 months the mean scores of the RLSSQ and the IRLS were 6.1 ± 0.6 and 16.3 ± 1.8. Conclusions rHPT may play a major role in the severity of RLS-associated symptoms in patients with renal failure. Consequently, parathyroidectomy may prove to be a valuable tool to reduce RLS-associated morbidity in affected patients. However, larger prospective trials are required to confirm the possible relation between RLS and rHPT seen in the present study.