A 77-year-old man hospitalized for a mild form of Covid-19 developed a rare form of restless legs syndrome affecting his rectal region. A unique case for the moment in science fiction.
More than 200 symptoms have been linked to long-term covid-19, including double vision, voice changes, nail discoloration and even decreased testicle size. But the case of this Japanese patient was reported in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases is completely unique: a strange version of Restless legs syndromeRestless legs syndromeBut at the anal level.
Video games relieve anal discomfort
In 2020, a 77-year-old man (whom we’ll call that) presented to a Tokyo hospital with classic symptoms of Covid-19: sore throat, cough, low-grade fever. After spending a night in the hospital, A PCR testPCR test Confirms the diagnosis: M is indeed positive for Covid-19. Although a little PneumoniaPneumoniaThe case is classified as mild by doctors and the patient is treated with anti-asthma medication and AntiviralAntiviral.
After 21 days, his breathing was almost normal and he was sent home. A few weeks later, however, he began experiencing “deep rectal discomfort,” about 10 cm. PerineumPerineumThe muscle located between the pubis andanusanus. Uncomfortable discomfort defecatedefecatebut which subsides when the patient walks, runs or “ Play games Video gamesVideo games Based on this MovementMovement », inform the doctors. On the other hand, comfort increases symptomssymptomsEven those who tend to wake up in the evening, doctors are leading to prescribe them sleeping pillssleeping pills. If ColposcopyColposcopy Some reveal Internal hemorrhoidsInternal hemorrhoidsNo one else DiscrepancyDiscrepancy No BladderBladder Neither erection is detected. There is also nothing to report at the neurological level. Doctors then diagnose “restless anus syndrome,” a rare form of restless legs syndrome.
Did you know ?
Four criteria for restless legs syndrome (and its variants)
- Irresistible desire to move;
- deterioration in comfort;
- worse in the evening;
- Relief of symptoms with exercise.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS), which affects 4 to 10% of the population, causes an irresistible need to move with a tingling sensation in the legs. Several variants have already been reported in the scientific literature, affecting the head and neck, the oral cavity,stomachstomach or the perineum. In 2017, doctors at Saint-Étienne University Hospital published an article on a patient suffering from “restless genital syndrome,” which “described. Excessive and persistent feeling of genital and vagus stimulation with absence of conscious feelings of sexual desire ” The patient, previously diagnosed with classic RLS, saw her pathologypathology Extends to the genital area.
Neurological complications of Covid-19
No cause has yet been clearly identified for SRJ. Scientists indicate a malfunction at the receptor level DopamineDopamineAs with contributing factors DeficiencyDeficiency in IronIrona Renal failureRenal failureor one DiabetesDiabetes Type 2. In their case, doctors believe that restless anal syndrome may be virusvirus This man has never faced such problems before, except for Covid-19. Two similar cases of post-Covid-19 RLS have already been reported. Rare cases of Guillain-Barre syndromeGuillain-Barre syndromeAutoimmune disease attacks nervenerve Peripherals have also been reported following Covid-19 infection, attesting to possible neurological sequelae.
Finally, M was treated with clonazepam, a class drug BenzodiazepinesBenzodiazepines Typically specific in the case of RLS: ” Ten months after starting treatment, symptoms continue to improve », doctors conclude in their article.
