The Effect of Duration of Penile Traction Therapy in Patients Undergoing Intralesional Injection Therapy for Peyronie's Disease

• Published in: The Journal of urology Vol. 194; no. 3; pp. 754 - 758
• Main Authors: Yafi, Faysal A, Pinsky, Michael R, Stewart, Carrie, Sangkum, Premsant, Ates, Erhan, Trost, Landon W, Sikka, Suresh C, Hellstrom, Wayne J.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2015
• Subjects: Combined Modality Therapy; Humans; injections; Injections, Intralesional; interferon alfa-2b; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; intralesional; Male; Middle Aged; penile induration; Penile Induration - therapy; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors; Traction; Urology; injections; intralesional injection; ILI; CCH; traction; stretched penile length; penile induration; penile traction therapy; end diastolic vascular velocity; interferon α-2b; SPL; collagenase clostridium histolyticum; IFN; PTT; PSV; intralesional; PD; peak systolic velocity; Peyronie's disease; EDV; interferon alfa-2b
• ISSN: 0022-5347; 1527-3792
• DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2015.03.092

Purpose The concomitant use of penile traction therapy with interferon α-2b has been previously described. We present an update on our clinical experience to assess the benefit and duration of daily traction. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent interferon α-2b therapy between 2001 and 2012 was performed. Charts were reviewed and data collected regarding various patient demographics, vascular parameters, objective length and curvature measurements, and use of penile traction therapy. Penile traction therapy was further stratified according to duration of daily use. Results A total of 112 patients underwent a median of 12 interferon α-2b injections (range 6 to 24). Daily use of penile traction therapy was reported by 31% of patients. There were no differences in patient demographics, initial vascular status, pretreatment stretched penile length, erect circumference and curvature between patients who followed a penile traction therapy regimen and those who did not. Overall, the use of penile traction therapy did not effect change in penile circumference (with therapy +3.2 mm [SD 6.5] vs no therapy +2.1 mm [SD 7.4], p=0.45), change in curvature (with therapy −8.1 degrees [SD 16.0] vs no therapy −9.9 degrees [SD 11.8], p=0.49) or change in stretched penile length (with therapy +2.4 mm [SD 0.9] vs no therapy +1.3 mm [SD 0.8], p=0.56). Men who used penile traction therapy 3 or more hours per day gained significantly greater stretched penile length compared to those who did not use penile traction therapy (4.4 mm [SD 0.5] vs 1.3 mm [SD 0.8], p=0.04). Conclusions Routine penile traction therapy during intralesional injection with interferon α-2b for Peyronie's disease may result in a small but subjectively meaningful improvement in stretched penile length, without affecting curvature, if used for at least 3 hours a day.