title: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for Peyronie's disease: an alternative treatment?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine retrospectively the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in patients with Peyronie's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with stable Peyronie's disease underwent ESWT (group 1). Fifteen patients matched with the baseline characteristic of the patients in group 1, who received no treatment, were used as the control (group 2). The patients' erectile function (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-5] score), pain severity (visual analog scale), plaque size and degree of penile angulation were assessed before and after the treatment in group 1 and during the follow-up in group 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up time was 32 months (range: 6-64 months) in group 1 and 35 months (range: 9-48 months) in group 2. All the patients were available for the follow-up. Considering erectile function and plaque size, no significant changes (P > 0.05) were observed in group 1 before or after the ESWT. A total of 39 patients (74%) reported a significant effect in pain relief in group 1 after ESWT. However, regarding improvement in pain, IIEF-5 score and plaque size, no significant differences were observed between the two groups. In 21 patients (40%) of group 1, the deviation angle was decreased more than 10 degrees with a mean reduction in all patients of 11 degrees (range: 6-20 degrees). No serious complications were noted considering ESWT procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ESWT is a minimally invasive and safe alternative procedure for the treatment of Peyronie's disease. However, the effect of ESWT on penile pain, sexual function and plaque size remains questionable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nordwest Krankenhaus, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, Frankfurt am Main D-60488, Germany. poulakis@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poulakis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skriapas
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dillenburg
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferakis
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Witzsch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melekos
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Becht
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D010410:Penile Erection; D010411:Penile Induration / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome