Worsening Restless Leg Syndrome Symptoms as a Presentation of Colon Cancer: A Reminder to Work Up the Anemia

Abstract

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder with an estimated prevalence of 10–35% in people over 65 years of age. Current clinical practice guidelines include the recommendation to check serum ferritin levels and provide iron supplementation if the ferritin level is ≤75 μg/L. We present a case of an 84-year-old man who developed worsening RLS symptoms over the past year despite up-titration of oral ropinirole to maximum daily dose. As part of his workup for RLS, his serum ferritin level was found to be severely low. He was also previously noted to be anemic, so we recommended that he be worked up for iron deficiency anemia. He later received a colonoscopy, which revealed a cecal polyp with high grade dysplasia, and then underwent right hemicolectomy. The patient reported significant improvement in RLS symptoms following the surgery. This case demonstrates the importance of working up iron deficiency anemia in the setting of worsening RLS symptoms, particularly in the geriatric population.