The natural history of Peyronie's disease

J Urol. 1990 Dec;144(6):1376-9. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)39746-x.

Abstract

The natural history of Peyronie's disease was evaluated in 97 men by means of a questionnaire. Disease duration ranged from 3 months to 8 years. Questions addressed pain, bending, ability for intercourse, over-all effect of the disease, psychological effects, treatments received and degree of disease progression. Approximately 40% of the patients found pain, bending, ability for intercourse and over-all effects to be unchanged during the course of the disease. Bending and ability for relations worsened in 40% of the patients during the same interval, while only 6% had worsening of pain. Of the patients 77% reported psychological effects due to Peyronie's disease, which improved in 28%, did not change in 36% and worsened in 36%. Over-all, 13% of the patients believed the disease to be one of gradual resolution, 47% believed there had been little or no change and 40% believed that the disease pattern was one of gradual progression. We found no statistically significant association between disease duration and spontaneous improvement in penile bending. A similar lack of statistical significance was found when improvement in a variety of categories was compared in patients who received no therapy versus those who received a variety of conventional medical therapies.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude to Health
  • Coitus / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Penile Erection / physiology
  • Penile Induration* / epidemiology
  • Penile Induration* / psychology
  • Penile Induration* / therapy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors