ABSTRACT
Since the detailed description of restless legs syndrome (RLS) by the Swedish neurologist Professor Axel Ekbom in 1945 (1), the condition has been known to be associated with various secondary causes including renal failure. The core feature of RLS is a distressing, irresistible need or urge to move the legs (focal akathisia). The akathisia often coexists with an uncomfortable, although not usually painful, sensation deep within the legs. These symptoms are brought on by rest (sitting or lying down). The more comfortable the patient becomes, the more likely that the symptoms will occur. The reverse is also true-the less comfortable the patient is, the less likely that he or she will have the symptoms. This review focuses on RLS that occurs in the renal failure population.
