Painful legs and moving toes syndrome in a 16-year-old girl

Abstract

Painful legs and moving toes (PLMT) syndrome is characterized by spontaneous movements of the digits and pain in one or both lower extremities. Of the reported cases, a majority of the patients was female, and the mean age of onset was 58 years. Only one pediatric case has been reported so far. Herein, we report the first adolescent case of PLMT in Korea. A 16-year-old girl complained of tingling pain in the left leg and involuntary movement of the ipsilateral great toe one month after a second untethering surgery. Three years ago, she had undergone untethering surgery to correct lipomeningomyelocele at the S2 level of the conus medullaris. At that time, she was diagnosed with polyradiculopathy at the left L5 level with axonal involvement. We diagnosed her with PLMT syndrome and prescribed gabapentin. Her symptoms diminished within a day. Complete relief from involuntary movement of the toe was achieved within four months. PLMT is a rare syndrome but it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children and adolescents with limb pain and spontaneous movement in their toes.