Peyronie’s disease
A. Is more common in the Afro-Caribbean populationAnswer B
Peyronie’s disease is a connective tissue disorder involving the growth of fibrous plaques in tunica albuginea of the penis. It affects up to 10% of all men. It’s more common in Caucasian men over the age of 40. It is associated with diabetes mellitus and smoking. There is evidence to suggest that the inflammation associated with Peyronie’s is at least partly mediated through the action of TGFβ. Pentoxifylline a possible medical treatment option is a TGβ1 inhibitor.
Surgery is very effective at correcting the curvature when the disease is in the chronic phase (93% success using plaque incision and grafting). Penile shortening greater than 1 cm occurred in only 25% and new onset ED in 15%. Even when previous surgery has failed salvage surgery in expert hand has a high success rate. A number of different graft materials have been used with success.