A Rare Consequence of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease - Peyronie's Disease

Chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) may involve any organ system, but male genital involvement is rare. Peyronie's Disease (PD) is an acquired, localized fibrotic disorder of the tunica albuginea, which leads to penile deformity, pain, and eventually to erectile dysfunction. We report the case of a 52 year old African American male with Acute Myeloid Leukemia who underwent human leucocyte antigen (HLA) matched sibling allogeneic peripheral blood SCT. His post transplant course was complicated by development of acute and multi-organ chronic GvHD requiring prolonged immunosuppression. He developed progressive dorsal curvature of the penis with erections within 1 year of ultra low dose interleukin -2 (IL2) treatment for his chronic GvHD but concealed symptoms for several months. Color Doppler Duplex ultrasound evaluation of the erect penis revealed a 75-degree curvature and appropriate hemodynamic response to prostaglandin injection. He underwent successful incision and grafting of the penile plaque. There is no significant residual curvature and is now able to engage in intercourse. A strong temporal association between GVHD (or its treatment) and Peyronie's is documented here. Awareness of the possible link between PD and chronic GVHD is required in this era of rapid growth in numbers of SCT.