The association of Peyronie’s disease with HLA B7 cross-reactive antigens

ABSTRACT

Previous reports in the literature suggest an association between Peyronie’s disease and certain histocompatibility antigens. To the authors’ knowledge, these are the first-reported cases of identical twins with Peyronie’s disease. Each was initially treated with medical therapy. This failing, they then underwent successful plaque excision with dermal grafting to correct their marked penile curvature with restoration of sexual function. HLA typing was carried out on these twins as well as all available family members. Physical examination of the family members indicates that the twins’ father has Peyronie’s disease and the son of one of the twins has mild induration of the dorsum of the penis as well as a slight lateral deviation of the erect penis. A brother of the twins has some dorsal penile thickening but no penile deviation. Each of the twins, the symptomatic son, and the affected father were found to have the B7 cross-reactive antigen. These data suggest that a form of Peyronie’s disease may be inherited. Further understanding of these histocompatibility antigens may allow greater understanding of the pathogenesis of this disorder in a subset of the population.