Karl-Axel Ekbom (23 September 1907 in Göteborg – 15 March 1977 in Uppsala) was a Swedish neurologist.
He is mostly known for his detailed description of restless legs syndrome (RLS).
Ekbom started his medical studies in Stockholm in 1928 and was licensed in 1934.
Ekbom's doctoral thesis "Restless Legs Syndrome: A Clinical Study of a Hitherto Overlooked Disease in the Legs Characterized by Peculiar paresthesia ("anxietas Tibiarum"), Pain and Weakness and Occurring In Two Main Forms, asthenia Crurum Paraesthetica and asthenia Crurum Dolorosa" was published in 1944[1] or 1945.
[4] The first case report of RLS was published by Thomas Willis in 1685.