[Radiotherapy in benign diseases: Morbus Peyronie]

The induratio penis plastica (IPP) or the so-called Morbus Peyronie is a burdening disease for patients with three main symptoms, induration, deviation and pain. The etiology of this fibrosing and plaque forming disease is largely unknown up to now.

The presented data refer to a retrospective univariant examination of 67 patients, which have been treated for IPP with soft X-rays in the Dermatological Clinic of the Technical University of Munich between 1990 and 1995. The aim of the study was to examine, how far a progression of the disease can be stopped with soft X-rays and how the pain symptomatic is reduced.

In 58 of 67 examined patients (86.6%) a progression of the disease could be stopped. 25 out of 67 patients (37.3%) complained of pain before therapy. This symptomatic mostly improved totally in 21 patients (84% of the patients with pain). A complete or partial dissolution of the indurations was to be noticed in 41 of 70 indurations (58.6%). In 23 of 60 patients (38.3%) an improvement or totally regression of the deviation was observed. It could be shown that therapeutic outcome significantly correlates to a shorter duration of anamnesis (p < 0.05), smaller plaque size (p < 0.025) and a tendency to lower age of the patients.

Radiotherapy of Morbus Peyronie is extremely effective and has a low rate of side effects.