When diagnosing Peyronie’s disease, there are a number of factors to consider, including the degree of curvature, the size and characteristics of plaques, the presence of pain, and the ability to have an erection suitable for intercourse.
However, there are few evidence-based guidelines for objectively assessing such traits, and such guidelines vary among researchers and medical organizations. For example, the American Urological Association suggests using intracavernosal injection to induce an erection for clinical evaluation. In contrast, the European Urological Association recommends the use of home photography to capture a natural erection for assessment.
Variations like these prompted researchers to review available options for evaluating Peyronie’s disease. The results were published in March in Sexual Medicine Reviews, with focus in four areas: deformity, plaque characteristics, inflammation, and erectile dysfunction (ED).