Intracellular collagen in fibroblasts of Peyronie's disease

Ultrastructural study of fibrotic plaques from six patients with Peyronie's disease disclosed collagen fibrils located within smooth membrane bound cytoplasmic structures in most of the fibroblasts. These cells also contained prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum, which was dilated and filled with electron dense material, and hypertrophic Golgi structures in which occasional collagen fibrils were seen. Vacuoles containing collagen fibrils and amorphous substance or cellular detritus were also observed. Data from the present study support the hypothesis that intracytoplasmic collagen fibril formation is caused by excessive collagen synthesis by fibroblasts of Peyronie's fibromatosis.