This method ological choice confers to the results a strong clinical relevance as PC has been reported to be one of the major determinants of bother and psychological distress in PD patients [ 2 ] .
Initially , the results in terms of PC were disappointing , probably due to the inadequate dosage and regimen of the drug , or simply because of wrong
In this month 's issue of European Urology , Russo et al. [ 1 ] published the results of a systematic review of the literature about the efficacy of injection therapies , vacuum devices , and penile traction in patients with Peyronie 's disease ( PD ) .
Historically , oral and intralesional therapies have represented the initial conservative option with surgery being considered the definitive gold st and ard therapy in stable disease .
More recently , recommended treatment algorithms have significantly shifted due to the introduction of potential new first-line options .
In this scenario , oral treatments have become less commonly prescribed due to inconsistent or negative outcome data , and intralesional therapies have gained growing interest .
Single-blind, multicenter, placebo controlled, parallel study to assess the safety and efficacy of intralesional interferon alpha-2B for minimally invasive treatment for Peyronie's disease.
PURPOSE We investigated the efficacy and safety of intralesional interferon alpha-2b for the treatment of Peyronie 's disease . MATERIAL S AND METHODS A total of 117 consecutive patients with a mean age of 55.1 years who had Peyronie 's disease were enrolled in a single-blind , multicenter , placebo controlled , parallel study to determine the efficacy and safety of intralesional interferon alpha-2b therapy ( Schering , Kenilworth , New Jersey ) , including 62 who received placebo and 55 who received interferon alpha-2b . Saline ( 10 ml ) in controls and interferon alpha-2b ( 5 x 10(6 ) U ) were administered biweekly for 12 weeks . Each patient was evaluated for penile curvature , plaque size and density , penile pain , erectile function and penile hemodynamics before and after study completion . Improvement in these parameters was statistically compared between the groups . RESULTS A total of 53 patients in the control arm and 50 in the interferon alpha-2b arm completed the study . Improvement in penile curvature , plaque size and density , and pain resolution was significantly greater in patients treated with interferon alpha-2b vs placebo . The increase in mean International Index of Erectile Function scores was not significantly different between the groups . Penile blood flow improvement was observed in interferon alpha-2b treated patients but not in those who received placebo . The decrease in the number of penile vascular pathologies was significantly higher in interferon alpha-2b cases . Side effects , mostly flu-like symptoms , which were frequently noted in patients on interferon alpha-2b , were mild to moderate in degree and of short duration . CONCLUSIONS This single-blind , multicenter , placebo controlled , parallel study demonstrates that intralesional interferon alpha-2b at a dose of 5 x 10(6 ) units biweekly for 12 weeks is effective and safe as minimally invasive therapy for Peyronie 's disease
This method ological choice confers to the results a strong clinical relevance as PC has been reported to be one of the major determinants of bother and psychological distress in PD patients [ 2 ] .
Initially , the results in terms of PC were disappointing , probably due to the inadequate dosage and regimen of the drug , or simply because of wrong
In this month 's issue of European Urology , Russo et al. [ 1 ] published the results of a systematic review of the literature about the efficacy of injection therapies , vacuum devices , and penile traction in patients with Peyronie 's disease ( PD ) .
Historically , oral and intralesional therapies have represented the initial conservative option with surgery being considered the definitive gold st and ard therapy in stable disease .
More recently , recommended treatment algorithms have significantly shifted due to the introduction of potential new first-line options .
In this scenario , oral treatments have become less commonly prescribed due to inconsistent or negative outcome data , and intralesional therapies have gained growing interest .