Chapter 1 - Introduction

Abstract

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a common disorder that results in penile deformity making sexual intercourse difficult or impossible. PD typically affects men in their 50s and has an incidence of 3%–9%. This condition results from a fibrotic process of the tunica albuginea, developed into two phases, acute and chronic. During the initial acute inflammatory phase, the plaque starts to form and the curvature becomes evident, often accompanied by pain, particularly during erection. These deformities include penile curvature, penile length loss, narrowing and sometimes a variable degree of erectile dysfunction (ED). PD can be associated with significant psychological distress and bother, including emotional efforts and relationship with the partner. Symptoms associated with both acute and chronic phases of PD have been reported to potentially interfere with patients’ sexual function, leading to serious psychological distress that means that the Peyronie’s disease is a couple disease. The etiology of PD is still not clear, but it is believed that the primary predisposing factor can be trauma or microtrauma during sexual intercourse in genetically susceptible patients. The therapeutic options of stable PD are different, including pharmacologic and surgical approaches, based on the severity of penile curvature and symptoms associated.