Current and emerging treatment options for Peyronie's disease

rrent and emerging treatment options for Peyronie's disease Review (885) Total Article Views Authors: Gokce A, Wang JC, Powers MK, Hellstrom WJ Published Date January 2013 Volume 2013:5 Pages 17 - 27 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/RRU.S24609 Received: 11 February 2012 Accepted: 19 March 2012 Published: 14 January 2013 Ahmet Gokce, Julie C Wang, Mary K Powers, Wayne JG Hellstrom Department of Urology, Tulane University – School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA Abstract: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a condition of the penis, characterized by the presence of localized fibrotic plaque in the tunica albuginea. PD is not an uncommon disorder, with recent epidemiologic studies documenting a prevalence of 3–9% of adult men affected. The actual prevalence of PD may be even higher. It is often associated with penile pain, anatomical deformities in the erect penis, and difficulty with intromission. As the definitive pathophysiology of PD has not been completely elucidated, further basic research is required to make progress in the understanding of this enigmatic condition. Similarly, research on effective therapies is limited. Currently, nonsurgical treatments are used for those men who are in the acute stage of PD, whereas surgical options are reserved for men with established PD who cannot successfully penetrate. Intralesional treatments are growing in clinical popularity as a minimally invasive approach in the initial treatment of PD. A surgical approach should be considered when men with PD do not respond to conservative, medical, or minimally invasive therapies for approximately 1 year and cannot have satisfactory sexual intercourse. As scientific breakthroughs in the understanding of the mechanisms of this disease process evolve, novel treatments for the many men suffering with PD are anticipated.