-
Sexual Medicine Feb 2024Cell therapy (CT) is a form of regenerative medicine under investigation for the management of male sexual dysfunction (MSD).
BACKGROUND
Cell therapy (CT) is a form of regenerative medicine under investigation for the management of male sexual dysfunction (MSD).
AIM
We sought to perform a systematic review of published information on CT for MSD and provide an official position statements for the European Society for Sexual Medicine.
METHODS
A comprehensive bibliographic search on the MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted in February 2023. Articles were selected based on the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, Study design (PICOS) model if they included male patients (P) undergoing CT (I) with or without comparison with other treatments (C) and evaluated the impact of CT on sexual function (O). Quantitative data were reported as found in the original studies (S). Level of evidence and grade of recommendation according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine were assigned to each statement.
OUTCOMES
Outcomes were determined based on assessment of erectile function, ejaculatory function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, and penile curvature.
RESULTS
A total of 19 studies and 421 patients were included. Most articles (n = 12, 63%) were case series, whereas a minority of papers (n = 6, 32%) had a comparative group; only 2 articles reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1 article reported a post hoc analysis of RCTs. Most articles (16, 84%) investigated patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Improvements in the International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function Domain (IIEF-EF) or the IIEF 5-item version (IIEF-5) were found in 11/15 (73%) studies, with mean increases in IIEF-EF, mean IIEF-5, and median IIEF-EF between 8 and 14 points, 2 and 9 points, and 4.5 and 6 points, respectively. Two papers (20%) evaluated men with Peyronie's disease (PD). In both ot these articles penile curvature improvement and plaque volume reduction were described in all patients (n = 16, 100%). Objective measurements were performed in 1 study, which showed 10°-120° (15%-100%) curvature improvement and 90%-100% plaque reduction. Mild transient adverse events at the donor or administration sites were found in 7/16 (44%) papers on ED. Priapism was reported in one case (20%) and mild penile skin complications were reported in the majority of patients after CT for PD. No severe adverse events were described.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Although high-quality evidence is lacking, CT appears to have potential benefits from application in patients with ED or PD.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
This report is to our knowledge the most comprehensive and up-to-date systematic review on the topic of CT for the management of MSD, including the position statements of the European Society for Sexual Medicine. Overall the assessment of available studies demonstrated low quality and significant heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
Preliminary findings support potential efficacy and safety of CT in patients with ED or PD. Low-quality papers, high methodological heterogeneity, uncertainty about the magnitude of the beneficial effects, and lack of long-term data limit the available evidence.
PubMed: 38344213
DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfad071 -
Asian Journal of Andrology Feb 2024Peyronie's disease (PD) is a condition of penile connective tissue affecting up to 10% of men worldwide. In the complexity of its management, nonsurgical treatments,...
Peyronie's disease (PD) is a condition of penile connective tissue affecting up to 10% of men worldwide. In the complexity of its management, nonsurgical treatments, such as intraplaque injections, are gaining attention. The current literature shows data on the efficacy of intraplaque injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) mainly in acute-phase PD. However, data on injections of HA in stable-phase PD are lacking. Data for this retrospective study were derived from a prospectively maintained database of private patients presenting at a private medical practice affiliated to the University of Naples "Federico II" (Naples, Italy) with stable-phase PD between January 2020 and March 2023. Patients underwent a standard protocol of three injections, each administered at a two-week interval. During the intervals, patients performed vacuum device therapy, penile stretching, and modeling exercises. All patients compiled the Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ) and Global Assessment of Peyronie's Disease (GAPD) at baseline and 2 weeks after the third injection. A penile Doppler ultrasound was performed 2 weeks after the last injection to record the final curvature. Overall, we recruited 62 patients with stable-phase PD and a mean (±standard deviation [s.d.]) curvature of 52.7° (±9.7°). After 6 weeks, eight (12.9%) patients did not experience any curvature improvement. The remaining 54 patients had a final mean (±s.d.) curvature of 40.3° (±9.1°) with P < 0.001, compared to that before treatment. We found improvement in all PDQ domains (all P ≤ 0.01), and 50 (80.6%) patients reported subjective improvement of the penile curvature according to the GAPD. In conclusion, we demonstrated that after three injections of HA administered according to the adopted protocol, patients with stable-phase PD could experience significant improvements in penile curvature, and physical and psychological consequences of the disease without significantly relevant side effects.
PubMed: 38305689
DOI: 10.4103/aja202371 -
Asian Journal of Andrology Jan 2024Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized by abnormal penile curvature, and various surgical methods have been developed using different graft materials. However, there...
Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized by abnormal penile curvature, and various surgical methods have been developed using different graft materials. However, there is currently no universal agreement on which type of graft is the best. The objective of this review was to evaluate the available literature and identify the most effective graft material for penile curvature correction in PD. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. The patients, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) approach was used to define the eligibility of studies. Two authors independently selected studies, evaluated them, and extracted data. Random-effect models using the DerSimonian-Laird method were used. Most studies were single-arm studies and had a high risk of bias. Buccal mucosa grafts (BMG) were found to result in the highest penile straightening rates and were associated with the least de novo erectile dysfunction. TachoSil grafts demonstrated a high success rate in straightening despite a higher mean preoperative curvature, while Tutoplast grafts had a higher incidence of postoperative erectile dysfunction. BMG had the highest percentage of postoperative penile straightening. Overall, the TachoSil graft showed the best performance when preoperative curvature is taken into account. Based on the available literature, BMG appear to be the most effective for penile curvature correction in PD, but this is offset by the requirement for low preoperative curvature. The TachoSil graft shows the best overall performance when preoperative curvature is considered. Comparative randomized clinical trials are still needed to determine graft superiority.
PubMed: 38265253
DOI: 10.4103/aja202358 -
Metabolites Jan 2024Peyronie's disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the penile albuginea. Oxidative stress (OS) is important for the development of the disease;...
Peyronie's disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the penile albuginea. Oxidative stress (OS) is important for the development of the disease; therefore, it seemed interesting to us to directly measure OS at both the site of the disease and in peripheral blood. For a precise OS study, it is necessary to evaluate not only the single results of the total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) but also their ratio: OS index (OSI) (arbitrary unit) = TOS/TAS × 100. This study included 49 PD patients examined and diagnosed in our Peyronie's care center and a control group of 50 cases. We collected blood samples from both the penis and a vein in the upper extremity; we used d-ROMs and PAT-test (FRAS kit) for OS measurement. Pearson's study found a statistical correlation between penile OSI values and PD plaque volumes: -value = 0.002. No correlation was found between systemic OSI values and PD plaque volumes: -value = 0.27. Penile OSI values were significantly reduced after the elimination of the PD plaque ( < 0.00001). The mean value of the penile OSI indices in the PD patients after plaque elimination corresponded to 0.090 ± 0.016 ( = 0.004). The comparison between the penile OSI values of the PD patients (with plaque elimination) and the control group revealed no statistically significant differences ( = 0.130). The absence of a correlation between Peyronie's plaque volume and systemic OSI values indicates that it is preferable to carry out the OS study by taking a sample directly from the site of the disease. By carrying out a penile OSI study, it would be possible to obtain a precise plaque-volume-dependent oxidative marker. Even if the study did not demonstrate any correlation between OSI indices and anxious-depressive state, we detected a high prevalence of anxiety (81.6%) and depression (59.1%) in PD patients.
PubMed: 38248858
DOI: 10.3390/metabo14010055 -
International Journal of Impotence... Apr 2024Treatment with Phosphodiesterase Type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) has shown promise in managing Peyronie's disease (PD) during its active phase. In a retrospective cohort...
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors do not prevent curvature progression but shorten pain duration in the active phase of Peyronie's Disease: A retrospective cohort study.
Treatment with Phosphodiesterase Type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) has shown promise in managing Peyronie's disease (PD) during its active phase. In a retrospective cohort study of 133 PD patients, we compared daily PDE5i treatment (sildenafil 25 mg or tadalafil 5 mg) in Group 1 (n = 101) to no treatment in Group 2 (n = 32). The mean age ± SD was 58.5 ± 10, (range: 29-77) years in Group 1 and 59 ± 13.7 years (range: 23-80) in Group 2 (p = 0.5). Mean symptom onset-to-visit time was 10.6 ± 7.2 months (range: 1-37) in Group 1 and 11 ± 6.3 months (range 3-27) in Group 2 (p = 0.5). Mean penile curvature change was +0.87° (95% CI: -1.8, 3.5) in Group 1 and +5.72° (95% CI: 1.4, 10) in Group 2 (p = 0.07) between first and last observations. Group 1 experienced shorter mean pain duration (9.1 ± 4.7 months, range: 2.5-24) than Group 2 (12.2 ± 6.5 months, range: 5-28) (p = 0.04). When controlling for baseline curvature and symptom onset-to-visit time, there were no differences between groups (-4.7, 95% CI: -10, 0.6) (p = 0.08). In conclusion, continuous PDE5i treatment did not affect PD curvature progression but showed a promising effect on pain.
Topics: Male; Humans; Penile Induration; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Penis; Pain
PubMed: 38228873
DOI: 10.1038/s41443-023-00810-5 -
Therapeutic Advances in Urology 2024Penile shortening, frequently resulting from end-stage Peyronie's disease (PD), has a negative impact on patients' sexual activity and overall quality of life,... (Review)
Review
Risk and benefits of penile length preservation techniques during penile prosthesis implantation: a systematic review by the young academic urologists sexual and reproductive health working group.
BACKGROUND
Penile shortening, frequently resulting from end-stage Peyronie's disease (PD), has a negative impact on patients' sexual activity and overall quality of life, especially when accompanied by Erectile dysfunction (ED). Various surgical techniques have been described to manage concomitant ED and penile shortening through penile prosthesis (PP) implantation.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the benefits and risks of different penile length preservation techniques during PP implantation.
DESIGN
A systematic review of the available literature on the use of penile length preservation maneuvers in conjunction with PP implantation was conducted.
DATA SOURCES AND METHODS
For this systematic review, three databases (Medline, Embase and Cochrane) and clinical trial.gov were queried for relevant publications from 1 January 1990 to 1 September 2022. The review process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.
RESULTS
The qualitative analysis included 15 relevant articles involving 1186 adult patients who underwent penile length preservation techniques during PP implantation. Penile lengthening of 1-7 cm was reported. Overall, postoperative complications were described in up to 21.7% of cases. Only five studies reported functional outcomes, showing a significant improvement in postoperative period based on the administered questionnaire (e.g. IIEF - International Index of Erectile Function, EDITS - Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction).
CONCLUSION
Penile length preservation procedures appear to offer a viable option for managing acquired penile shortening, particularly in cases of PD. However, they are associated with a significant risk of complications. Proper patient selection, thorough discussion of risks and benefits, and referral to high-volume centers are mandatory to achieve optimal outcomes and minimizing complications.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO database registration CRD42022360758.
PubMed: 38205393
DOI: 10.1177/17562872231215177 -
BJUI Compass Jan 2024To investigate the risk factors for penile arterial insufficiency (PAI), which is a known cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the risk factors for penile arterial insufficiency (PAI), which is a known cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).
METHODS
Patients who attended our urology clinic complaining of ED for more than 6 months were prospectively enrolled in this study over 1-year period. Patient consent was taken and ethical committee approval. Complete medical history and thorough general and local examination including body mass index (BMI), Peyronie's disease (PD) and penile size measurements (length and girth) were done for all of them. Laboratory tests included testosterone, lipid profile and glycated haemoglobin (HA1c). A penile duplex ultrasound study (PDU) was done for all patients after intracavernosal injection (ICI) with alprostadil. Peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured after 15 min. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS.
RESULTS
A total of 440 patients were enrolled in this analysis. The mean age was 48(23-81), and the mean BMI was 30 (18-51). Older patients had lower PSV ( = -0.361, = 0.000) and higher EDV ( = 0.174, = 0.001), and both correlations were highly statistically significant. Diabetics had lower PSV ( = -0.318, = 0.000) and higher EDV ( = 0.139, = 0.008), which were also highly statistically significant. Smokers had lower PSV ( = -0.140, = 0.008) and higher EDV ( = 0.178, = 0.001), which were highly statistically significant. Men with larger penises measured skin to tip had lower EDV ( = -0.119, = 0.024), which was less significant. Interestingly, there was neither a significant correlation between BMI and PSV (0.16, = 0.745) nor a significant correlation between testosterone and PSV (0.029, = 0.552). Also, there was no correlation between PSV and both dyslipidaemia and penile PD.
CONCLUSIONS
Ageing, tobacco consumption, DM and hypertension seem to have a negative impact on penile haemodynamics, which was statistically significant. In our patients, there was no statistically significant effect on penile haemodynamics in patients with increased BMI, low testosterone or PD or according to the size of the penis.
PubMed: 38179020
DOI: 10.1002/bco2.275 -
European Review For Medical and... Dec 2023The number of studies in the field of andrology is increasing day by day, but a bibliometric study covering the entire literature on andrology has not yet been...
A bibliometric perspective with research trends and global productivity on the modernization of andrology from the founder of modern clinical andrology Edward Martin to the present.
OBJECTIVE
The number of studies in the field of andrology is increasing day by day, but a bibliometric study covering the entire literature on andrology has not yet been conducted. This bibliometric study aims to shed light on the question of where we came from and where we are going in andrology from past to present. It also aimed to summarize the intellectual structure of andrology to reveal global productivity and identify and map the latest trends of scientific articles published in the field of andrology.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
16,659 articles published between 1980 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science and analyzed using various statistical methods. Bibliometric network visualization maps revealed trending topics, global productivity, the most influential studies, and international collaborations. Spearman's correlation analysis was used for determining correlations.
RESULTS
The top three productive countries were United States of America (3,452; 20.7%), China (2,300; 13.8%), and Germany (1,069; 6.4%). The top two most productive authors were Agarwal A. (n=130) and Nieschlag E. (n=130). The most productive institution was the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (n=422). From past to present, the most studied subjects were testis, male infertility, spermatozoa, testosterone, infertility, erectile dysfunction, spermatogenesis, sperm, prostate cancer (PCA)/neoplasms, oxidative stress, fertility/fertilization, semen, rat(s), apoptosis, azoospermia, sperm motility, human and varicocele.
CONCLUSIONS
The trend topics that have been researched more in recent years include erectile dysfunction, oxidative stress, prostate cancer, sperm quality, sperm parameters, infertility, premature ejaculation, diabetes mellitus, obesity, prognosis, sperm DNA fragmentation/damage, antioxidant, asthenozoospermia, varicocelectomy, COVID-19, inflammation, prostatectomy, metabolic syndrome, hypogonadism, benign prostatic hyperplasia, lower urinary tract symptoms, meta-analysis, sexual dysfunction, peyronie's disease, and proliferation. We identified the research leadership of China, Japan, Turkey and India, in addition to Western countries, such as the USA and European countries.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Male; Rats; Andrology; Erectile Dysfunction; Infertility, Male; Prostatic Neoplasms; Semen; Sperm Motility; United States; Bibliometrics
PubMed: 38164858
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202312_34794 -
Cureus Dec 2023Penile Mondor's disease, or dorsal vein thrombophlebitis, is vital for urologists to recognize. It causes pain and hardening in the penis due to triggers like trauma or...
Penile Mondor's disease, or dorsal vein thrombophlebitis, is vital for urologists to recognize. It causes pain and hardening in the penis due to triggers like trauma or neoplasms. Distinguishing it from similar conditions such as sclerosing lymphangitis and Peyronie's disease is crucial. Penile Doppler ultrasound is the preferred diagnostic method. Providing reassurance can ease patient anxiety. This case report highlights a unique occurrence following forceful condom removal during sex, detailing symptoms, diagnosis, and successful treatment.
PubMed: 38130908
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50872 -
Sexual Medicine Dec 2023The success of telemedicine depends on patient satisfaction with the care that they receive, which is impacted by the ease of use of the technology, quality of the...
BACKGROUND
The success of telemedicine depends on patient satisfaction with the care that they receive, which is impacted by the ease of use of the technology, quality of the connection, and perceived effectiveness of care.
AIM
The study sought to evaluate patient satisfaction with telemedicine services in a high-volume andrology clinic.
METHODS
We included all patients who had a telemedicine appointment between January 1, 2020, and August 22, 2022. Demographic information was gathered, and a satisfaction survey was conducted using REDCap software. Data were grouped into 2 age categories, with ≥50 years as the cutoff (19-50 years; >50 years). The data were analyzed according to age, distance from the patient's home to our center, and survey responses. Pearson's chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed.
OUTCOMES
The main outcome is satisfaction with telemedicine in a men's sexual health context.
RESULTS
A total of 4071 patients were identified based on attending a telemedicine visit. Hypogonadism was the most common diagnosis. Other diagnoses included erectile dysfunction, varicocele, Peyronie's disease, vasectomy, and infertility. In total, 613 patients completed the survey, with a mean age of 56.6 years. Older patients were less likely to prefer telemedicine (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.80; < .001), less likely to agree to a video visit because of privacy concerns (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.75; < .001), and less likely to recommend a telemedicine visit compared with their younger counterparts (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.27-0.51; < .001). The median distance was 22.4 (interquartile range, 7.5-57.5) miles. However, there was no significant association between distance and patients' likelihood of preferring telehealth visits, including reviews of outside laboratories and imaging (OR, 1; 95% CI, 0.99-1; = .35), belief in the quality of care provided via video visits (OR, 0.99, CI 0.99-1; = .25), and overall preference for telehealth visits (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1; = .35).
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Healthcare providers should consider the age of patients when deciding to offer telemedicine while addressing privacy concerns to provide adequate reassurance to patients who may have concerns about the quality of care provided through telemedicine.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
Our study achieved a substantial sample size that reached statistical significance. Conducted at a single academic center, our study was constrained, possibly introducing biases related to the institution's advanced telemedicine system. Geographic and diagnostic limitations could lead to regional biases, affecting the generalizability of the findings.
CONCLUSION
Older patients exhibited a lower inclination toward preferring telemedicine, along with decreased odds of endorsing in-person visits.
PubMed: 38111635
DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfad060