Potassium para-aminobenzoate for the treatment of Peyronie's disease: is it effective?
The medical treatment of Peyronie's disease remains controversial. Oral and injectable medications have been used with little documented disease specific effectiveness. Potassium para-aminobenzoate (POTABA) has long been suggested as a treatment for the plaque, curvature, and pain produced by chronic Peyronie's disease. We report a retrospective review of 32 patients treated for at least 3 months with 12 g of POTABA powder daily and followed for 8 to 24 months. Symptom resolution demonstrated improvement in penile discomfort in 8 of 18 patients, decreased plaque size in 18 of 32 patients, and improvement in penile angulation in 18 of 31 patients. Complete resolution of angulation was reported in 8 of 31 patients. While this review was retrospective and uncontrolled, it does suggest a place for POTABA in the treatment of Peyronie's disease. In order to confirm these findings and to control for the natural history of spontaneous resolution of Peyronie's disease symptomatology, a prospective, double-blind, multicenter, well-controlled study with objective criteria should be established.
Carson
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Division of Urology, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill 27599-7235, USA.
D010129:4-Aminobenzoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010411:Penile Induration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011208:Powders; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D011208:Powders; D010129:4-Aminobenzoic Acid