[Peyronie's disease-often a disabling disease for sexually active men]

Peyronie's disease is an acquired penile condition characterized by fibrous plaques between the tunica albuginea and the subtunical tissue of the corpora cavernosa. Plaques are considered responsible for the main symptoms: penile pain and deviation. Even though several risk factors and associations with other diseases are known its exact aetiology remains unclear. Most commonly discussed hypotheses are micro traumata, inflammatory and/or ischemic processes. Currently different treatment forms exist raging form systemic or local medical treatment, to physical applications and surgery. All treatment forms are symptom based and evidence based treatment remains difficult to establish. Because conservative treatment is of limited success in many patients especially with severe deviations surgery becomes necessary.