Peyronie first described this condition as ‘rosary beads of scar tissue to cause an upward curvature of the penis during erection’.1 Essentially, it is an acquired disorder of the tunica albuginea, characterised by a fibrous plaque. This may be associated with penile curvature, painful erection and erectile dysfunction. The prevalence of the disease may be as high as 3.2%.2 Management is either non-surgical or surgical for severe symptomatic cases.
Peyronies.org
http://www.peyronies.org/
This refreshing site has a historical perspective with an etching of François de la Peyronie on the home page! The illustrations are clear and labelled well. The eMail forum is easy to access and the links to related sites are confined to aseparate page. This site is suited to both doctor and patient alike. All in all, this is a brilliant website for this condition.*****
Peyronie's disease
http://www.peyroniesdisease.co.uk/
This is a high quality website that is somewhat in its infancy. Some of the pages are incomplete, but the sections relating to the disease and the management are excellent, with clear illustrations. Each page is free from non-Peyronie's related material. There are some helpful links on the site; unfortunately, half of them are not running as yet. Despite the fact the site is incomplete, it promises to be a first rate website with excellent background information and easy navigation.****
Urology Channel
http://www.urologychannel.com/peyronies/index.shtml
This sponsored website is designed by Healthcommunities.com an American on-line service for patients and doctors, with easy links to a variety of other Healthcommunities speciality websites. The overview is concise and clear, with some reference to medical and anatomical jargon. Although the subject is divided by headings that link to another page, this seems to work quite well – I imagine a patient will not feel swamped by a full screen of continuous text. An enduring criticism of this sponsored site is the busy appearance to each webpage. Sponsors' links are placed literally in the middle of each section. An offer to Join Our Forum and to Stay Updated via eMails is available, but requires registration. A couple of inoffensive line drawings may complete what is otherwise an easy-to-navigate website. It is unlikely to be well suited to the experienced urologist or trainee.**
bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_doctor/peyronies.shtml
A straightforward description of the condition, its diagnosis and management by Dr Trisha Macnair (a freelance medical journalist with a medical background). It is set in the style of a response to a patient enquiring about the disease. The prose is broken down by subheadings ‘The causes’, ‘Treatment’ and ‘Surgery’. One might easily imagine it is ascript from the perfect out-patient consultation. The lack of specific technical points means the site is better suited for patients. Nevertheless, the broad outline of the condition is not at all patronising to the professional or enthusiastic amateur alike. This section is in the ‘Ask the Doctor’ section of the BBC website. It is easy to navigate back to the search page with a subject index. This website is exactly what you would expect from the BBC – perfect grammar, plain English and free.***
Andromeda Andrology Centre
http://www.peyroniesdisease.org/
This site is run by an Indian group based at Hyderabad. The site seems more suited to a medical audience with blunt medical descriptions and quite a lot of jargon. Once again, the historical perspective(a single line explaining who Peyronie was) feels like the authors are keen to share as much as possible about this condition with us. The Krishnamurthi penile dorsal flap operation is referred to, and there is even a downloadable PDF – with fully illustrated operative instructions. The YouTube links that outline the surgical technique are quite impressive. This site is free to use, and is better suited to the medical profession than patients.****
Andrology Australia
http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/pageContent.asp?pageCode=FSPEY
This is an Australian Government funded initiative. The site is well laid out and easy to navigate. The site is aimed at patients more than professionals. The presence of a well-labelled illustration complements this easy-to-follow website. It provides limited detail regarding the specifics of treatment, but would be a clear reference for patients keen to learn more about this condition. As a medical research tool this site is limited, but for patients and relatives it would be ideal.****
References
- 1.de la Peyronie F. Sur quelques obstacles, qui s'opposent à l'éjaculation naturelle de la semence. Mém Acad R Chir. 1743;1:425–34. [Google Scholar]
- 2.Schwarzer U, Sommer F, Klotz T, Braun M, Reifenrath B, Engelmann U. The prevalence of Peyronie's disease: results of a large survey. BJU Int. 2001;88:727–30. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-4096.2001.02436.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]