Main Article Content

Peyronie's disease - a perspective on the disease and the long-term results of radiotherapy


I. M. Viljoen
L. Goedhals
M. J. Doman

Abstract

From 1966 to 1988, 98 of 108 patients with symptomatic Peyronie's disease received radiotherapy at our institution. In 11 of 61 patients (18%) who attended the clinic regularly for follow-up for longer than a year, new lesions distinct from the original lesions developed. This confirms that there is progression of the disease in a substantial number of cases after treatment. Long-term follow-up over an average of 111,5 months was achieved by means of a questionnaire in 47 of the 98 cases (48%). Forty-one of these patients (87,2%) had sexual intercourse after radiation. Twenty-eight of the 41 (68,3%) still have intercourse. Their average age at present is 59,6 years while the average age of the 13 patients (31,7%) not having intercourse is 70,9 years. The decline in sexual activity is thus age-related. Twenty-one of 25 patients (84%) experienced relief from pain, and angulation of the penis improved in 17 of 44 patients (38,6%) after radiotherapy. Radiotherapy may therefore be of benefit to patients with active Peyronie's disease and should be investigated in a randoIIlised controlled study.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574