Secondary overactive bladder with restless leg syndrome after cerebral infarction: report of 2 cases

Abstract

Background Previous research has commonly regarded overactive bladder (OAB) and restless leg syndrome (RLS) as distinct disorders in terms of their underlying causes, clinical diagnosis, and treatment approaches. However, there is evidence of an overlap in the occurrence of these two conditions following cerebral infarction. Specifically, restless bladder syndrome (RBS), a subtype of RLS, exhibits symptoms similar to those of OAB. Consequently, further investigation is warranted to better understand the relationship between these two disorders. Case presentation In this report, we present the cases of two patients who presented with both OAB following cerebral infarction, along with RLS. Following administration of oral pramipexole, both nocturia and RLS exhibited prompt and efficient alleviation. Conclusions There may exist a shared pathological foundation between certain RLS cases and OAB. In instances where patients exhibit evident OAB symptoms following cerebral infarction and concurrently experience RLS, it is advisable to prioritize the administration of dopaminergic agonists over M receptor inhibitors and β₃ agonists. Furthermore, it is plausible that the RBS or a subset of RLS cases could potentially be classified as a form of OAB, although this correlation has yet to be definitively established.