The Incidence, Aetiology, and Presentation of Peyronie's Disease in Sydney, Australia

This paper reports on the incidence, presentation, and aetiological factors of Peyronie's disease in a sexual centre over an 8 year period. Of approximately 13,000 male patients, 672 (5%) were diagnosed with Peyronie's disease. The mean age was 55.6 years. Presenting symptoms included penile curvature (82%), erectile dysfunction (66%), and a history of penile pain (47%). Where possible aetiological data were recorded, 37% (of 340) had been catheterised and 42% (of 257) had a history of penile trauma. Of those presenting with penile curvature, the majority (76.4%) had a dorsal curve and the commonest plaque site was the dorsal tunica albuginea. The incidence of erectile dysfunction, catheterisation, and penile trauma is higher than that reported in many studies. This is likely to be due to the specialist nature of the clinic and the variability of information in patient files.