Korean J Urol.  2009 Jun;50(6):527-533. 10.4111/kju.2009.50.6.527.

Peyronie's Disease: Current Medical Treatment and Future Perspectives

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology and National Research Laboratory of Regenerative Sexual Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea. jksuh@inha.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE: Because of our incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of Peyronie's disease (PD), management of PD remains a therapeutic dilemma in the field of sexual medicine. Most currently available medical treatments have not demonstrated conclusive effects. The present review addresses the current status of nonsurgical treatment and emerging new therapeutic targets for PD.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic review of clinical or preclinical results of nonsurgical treatment for PD published as original articles in peer-reviewed journals is provided.
RESULTS
Although many studies regarding nonsurgical treatment of PD showed positive outcomes, the majority of these studies were not placebo-controlled approaches. Currently available randomized controlled trials on the use of oral, intralesional injection, and topical agents have not showed conclusive effects, with minor or little effect. However, the outcomes of recent preclinical studies targeting the TGF-beta pathway or NO-cGMP pathway are promising.
CONCLUSIONS
There is no viable therapeutic option for PD between watchful waiting and surgical manipulation. With further research into the pathologic cascade of cellular and molecular events and an increase in our understanding of the pathophysiology of PD using animal models, the development of novel and effective medical therapies will become a realistic objective.

Keyword

Penile induration; Fibrosis; Therapy; Transforming growth factor beta; TGF-beta type I receptor

MeSH Terms

Fibrosis
Injections, Intralesional
Male
Models, Animal
Penile Induration
Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases
Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta
Transforming Growth Factor beta
Watchful Waiting
Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases
Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta
Transforming Growth Factor beta

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