Application of the Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for investigating restless legs syndrome in patients with chronic renal failure

摘要

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a clinical diagnosis mainly based on the patient's history. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) defined four essential diagnostic criteria for RLS [1]. However, various conditions such as leg-muscle cramps, positional discomfort, and local leg pathology can mimic RLS by fulfilling the 4 item IRLSSG diagnostic criteria. This problem has been shown among patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) [2], and also in general population [3]. Prof. Allen and his colleagues have developed the Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for RLS (CH-RLSq), a patient-administered diagnostic questionnaire that includes items for differential diagnosis and provided a reasonable level of sensitivity (87.2%) and specificity (94.4%) for ascertainment of RLS in the general population [4]. The CH-RLSq has not yet been used in CRF patients. The RLS-like conditions are common among these patients making the correct diagnosis difficult [2].