Peyronie’s disease
Description
Peyronie disease refers to plaques (flat scar tissue) forming under the skin of the penis. The plaques can be palpated through the skin; are often painful; and can cause the penis to bend, shorten or become indented during erections.
History of Lapeyronie disease
1561 – There are myriad potential 16th century descriptions of Peyronie’s disease brilliantly reviewed by Musitelli, et al. They conclude that Gabriele Falloppio (1523-1562) provided the only potential description of Peyronie’s as palpable scar tissue which he termed ‘little acorns’
Original
English
Nerui sunt insignes ac ualde manifesti, ita ut nisi lusciosos latere possint, iique sunt, in quibus, ac simul in ipsorum inuolucris fiunt ganglia non dolorosa, uel glandulae uocatae, quae postea sunt in causa, ut dum pudendum erigitur ueluti arietinum cornu intortum turgeat, et non distendatur, quod genus morbi mea sententia immedicabile est
These nerves and their sheath are just those parts into which painless ganglions form, that are also called “little acorns.” These ganglions are the cause why, when erection of the penis occurs, it doesn’t swell straight, but like a ram-horn. In my opinion it is impossible to cure this kind of disease by medicines
1743 – La Peyronie described three cases of ‘hard tumors in cavernous bodies ‘ accompanied by painful erection and curvature of the penis on the lesion side. He described these tumors as nodules or ganglions, sometimes extended like the beads of a rosary, from one end to the other of the two bodies.
…tumeurs dures dans les corps caverneux…en forme de nodules ou de ganglions, allongés parfois comme les grains d’un chapelet, d’un bout à l’autre des deux corps
La Peyronie 1743
Although his description is accurate, the proposed aetiology was less so. He suspected venereal disease as a cause and the treatment recommended was that for syphilis, with mercurial preparations and potassium iodide.
This illness…which is not rare among elderly men, particularly among those sexually very active, is sometimes also the result of a venereal disease…the resistance of these indurations to the specific treatment makes me think that, with regard to their healing, they could be considered as remains of venereal diseases
If mercurial options failed, the thermal waters of Barèges in the Pyrenees was suggested…and was apparently more successful…
While the patient healed from his old injury, thanks to the waters, he took the shower over the induration, and observed that during a season of water treatment the induration decreased considerably. The first sign of success induced the patient to continue the same treatment. Repeated showers for one more season, completed the softening of this induration, the erections regained their old shape, and the semen its normal ejaculation.
1851 – Henry James Johnson wrote on chronic inflammation, and other morbid states of the corpus cavernosum in the the Lancet. Three of the four cases presented most probably represent Peyronie disease
1874 – Van Buren and Keyes published 5 cases and described the previously unreported calcification of the penis and chronic inflammation of the erectile tissue of the corpora cavernosa. Disease called Van Buren’s disease. [1874: 390-394.]
1877 – Jean-Nicolas Demarquay noted the work of Peyronie when describing ‘l’induration plastique des tissus érectiles du pénis’ and ‘l’ossification du pénis’ [1877: 391-392]
1879 – Paget Chordae secondary to gout, likens Peyronie to Dupuytren as contractures[1879: 379-380]
Associated Persons
- Guilielmus of Saliceto (1210-1276)
- Gabriele Falloppio (1523-1562)
- François Gigot de La Peyronie (1678-1747)
- John Hunter (1728-1793)
- William Holme Van Buren (1819-1883)
Alternative names
- Induratio penis plastica (IPP)
- Lapeyronie disease
- Van Buren’s disease (1874)
Controversies
Many surgeons and anatomists had observed and described penile curvature prior to François Gigot de La Peyronie. The descriptions have been thoroughly examined by Musitelli, et al and found, in the main, to be vague and most probably not of Peyronie’s disease, with the exception of Guilielmus of Saliceto (1275) and Gabriele Falloppio (1561)
References
Original articles
Review articles
- Chirurgie de Guillaume de Salicet, achevée en 1275 (XLIX)
- Falloppii G. Medici Mutinensis Observationes anatomicae ad Petrum Mannam medicum Cremonensem. 1561: 190-191
- De La Peyronie F. Sur quelques obstacles qui s’opposent à l’éjaculation naturelle de la semence. Mémoires de l’Académie royale de chirurgie. 1743; 1: 425-434
- Hunter J. Of the chordae. In: A treatise on the venereal disease. London, Longmans, 1786: 53
- Johnson HJ. On chronic inflammation, and other morbid states of the corpus cavernosum. Lancet. 1851; 58(1473): 481-483
- Van Buren WH, Keyes EL. A novel disease of the penis, with cases and remarks. New York Medical Journal, 1874; 19: 390-394.
- Demarquay J-N. Maladies chirurgicales du pénis. Paris 1877: 391-392
- Paget J. Gouty affections of the urinary organs. In: Clinical lectures and essays. 1879: 379-380
- Whitehead ED. William Holme Van Buren (1819-1883). Invest Urol. 1971; 9(3): 251-3.
- Akkus E. Historical Review of Peyronie’s Disease. In: Levine L.A. (eds) Peyronie’s Disease. Current Clinical Urology. Humana Press. 2007: 1-8
- Musitelli S, Bossi M, Jallous H. A brief historical survey of “Peyronie’s disease”. J Sex Med. 2008 Jul;5(7):1737-46
Eponym
the person behind the name
Bsc (Hons) MD from the University of Western Australia. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia and currently working as a Urology Registrar within WA Health. Has a keen interest in health, fitness and water based sports.
