Physical treatment of Peyronie disease.
OBJECTIVE
Peyronie disease is a localized and progressive fibrosis. It is characterized by a plaque in the tunica albuginea, which leads to penile deformity, making sexual intercourse difficult, if not impossible.


METHODS
During a 4-yr period, we treated 35 patients, aged 30-62 yr, in different stages of this disease. We applied ultrasound therapy (0.5 W/cm; 10 min), infrared radiation, and iontophoresis with 8% potassium iodide (0.2 mA; 30 min). The patients were taught to administer therapy by themselves. The patients' diseases were classified into three stages on the basis of subjective symptoms and clinical findings. At the beginning of treatment, 20 patients' diseases were classified as being in the first stage, 13 patients' diseases in the second stage, and 2 patients' diseases in the third stage.


RESULTS
By the end of treatment, 10 patients were cured, 17 patients' diseases were classified as being in the first stage, 8 patients' diseases were in the second stage, and there were no patients in the third stage.


CONCLUSIONS
The method is simple, safe, painless, and inexpensive. Patients were taught to administer the therapy by themselves. There were no side effects. Functional improvement and the cessation of pain were noted by all the patients. The level of improvement depended on the disease duration, the length of therapy, and the stage of the disease.
Culibrk
M S
MS
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Medical Center, Subotica, Yugoslavia.
Culibrk
B
B
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010411:Penile Induration / Q000145:classification / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy