Peyronie's Disease: A Review

Abstract

Peyronie's disease is an acquired benign condition without known systemic sequelae with presenting symptoms that include the presence of a plaque or induration of the penile shaft, penile curvature or deformity during erection, penile pain, and erectile dysfunction. This article reviews the natural history of the disease, discusses the disease's etiology (widely thought to involve minor penile trauma with subsequent aberrant wound healing), and outlines proper clinical evaluation of Peyronie's disease patients. Medical treatments can be systemic (colchicine, potassium aminobenzoate, vitamin E), intralesional (steroids, verapamil, collagenase, interferons), or topical. Surgical therapy for Peyronie's disease (plication, graft-based, and prosthetic techniques) should be reserved for the man who has failed conservative therapy and whose curvature, indentation, or erectile dysfunction precludes intercourse. Regardless of the surgical procedure, the patient should be made aware of the inherent risks of surgery.

Figure 1

Penis with Peyronie’s disease that demonstrates both a curvature and hourglass deformity during tumescence induced by an intracorporeal injection.