The Management of Penile Fracture: a Review of the Literature with Special Consideration for Patients Undergoing Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum Injection Therapy

Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum for Peyronie's disease: a contemporary atlas of complications and their management

INTRODUCTION

Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) remains the only Food and Drug Administration-approved medical treatment for Peyronie's disease (PD). The initial IMPRESS I and II trials (Investigation for Maximal Peyronie's Reduction Efficacy and Safety), which led to Food and Drug Administration approval, revealed a rate of treatment-related adverse events as high as 84%. Studies fail to provide clear definitions of complications.

OBJECTIVES

To review complications, provide a CCH complication atlas, and propose management strategies for commonly encountered complications.

METHODS

We performed a literature review using PubMed. A photographic atlas was provided regarding complications in patients in a high-volume CCH center for PD.

RESULTS

Complications were identified and classified by nature and severity. We followed a standardized previously published grading system for hematomas. Complications include bruising, swelling, hematoma formation, back pain, and, rarely, corporal rupture. Complications were discussed, and hematomas were graded by penile surface area. Complication photographs were graded and displayed. Treatment-related adverse effects do not affect overall results.

CONCLUSION

Recognizing and grading complications associated with CCH therapy for PD is crucial for effective patient management and informed decision making. A standardized grading system allows for consistency in reporting and comparing hematoma complication rates across studies and patient populations. Herein we provide images that will help clinicians identify and confidently manage common complications that may occur in any CCH program.

Optimal timing of surgical intervention for penile fracture: a narrative review of the modern literature

INTRODUCTION

Penile fracture is traditionally considered a surgical emergency warranting immediate repair with the goal to maximize long-term erectile function and minimize penile curvature. Nonetheless, consensus on the optimal timing for penile fracture repair remains to be elucidated and is the subject of continued research efforts.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to summarize the contemporary literature pertaining to optimal timing of penile fracture repair and associated outcomes.

METHODS

We queried PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar for relevant articles published between 2012 and 2022 to evaluate the most recent literature on the queried topic of early vs delayed intervention for penile fracture. All examined review articles were published within the last decade but may have included analyses of studies published prior to 2012. Reference lists of articles and reviews were manually reviewed to identify additional relevant articles.

RESULTS

We identified 16 articles that met inclusion criteria: 12 primary articles and 4 systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Importantly, definitions of early and delayed intervention varied greatly among studies, making quantitative comparison challenging. In summary, 6 primary studies and 2 systematic review articles favored early intervention. There were also 6 primary studies and 2 systematic review articles suggesting equivocal outcomes between early and delayed repair. No articles demonstrated improved outcomes with delayed repair relative to early intervention.

CONCLUSION

Surgical intervention for penile fracture remains the gold standard, with superior long-term sexual and functional outcomes when compared with conservative management. Optimal timing of penile fracture repair remains to be elucidated with data limited by low incidence, resulting in small case series and a lack of randomized controlled trials. Nonetheless, recent data suggest that a brief delay in surgical intervention for patients presenting with penile fractures does not affect long-term sexual and functional outcomes.

Risk Factors for Penile Fracture After Intralesional Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum in Peyronie's Disease

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate risk factors leading to corporal rupture after Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCh). Peyronie's disease (PD) is a fibrotic condition of the penis characterized by abnormal plaque formation. Intralesional CCh is the only FDA-approved medication for PD, however, it can lead to corporal rupture, a potential surgical emergency.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records from Veterans diagnosed with PD who were under treatment with CCh using the Veterans Administration Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). Using International Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes, we identified men who suffered a corporal rupture after CCh. Individual charts were reviewed to determine potential risk factors and events leading to corporal rupture.

RESULTS

We identified 17,647 veterans who were diagnosed with PD, of which 8.7% (1541) received at least one injection of CCh for PD. Of them, 0.7% (11/1541) veterans suffered corporal rupture. Within these 11 patients, the median number of CCH injections was 6 with a median initial curvature of 35°. Fracture occurred at a median of 8days after CCH injection. The majority of fractures were secondary to spontaneous erections or sexual intercourse. Finally, six patients had their fracture repaired surgically while the remaining were managed conservatively.

CONCLUSION

Most fractures occurred within 2weeks of CCh injections and were associated with sexual intercourse and spontaneous morning erections.

A review of the literature and proposed algorithm for penile fracture management

INTRODUCTION

In the management of penile fractures, immediate surgical repair has resulted in better outcomes when compared with a conservative approach; however, there is currently no consensus on the treatment of patients presenting beyond the immediate period (>24 hours) following injury.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the latest literature on management strategies in penile fracture and propose an optimal algorithm for the treatment of patients with delayed presentation.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted following the PRISMA-P 2020 guidelines. A search was performed in several databases with the following strategy: ("Penile fracture" OR "fracture of penis" OR "rupture of corpora cavernosa" OR "rupture of tunica albuginea") AND (management OR treatment OR surgery OR "surgical reconstruction" OR "surgical repair"). This resulted in 108 relevant articles. Two independent reviewers screened these articles according to the inclusion criteria. Full-text review of 56 articles was performed, and ultimately 20 studies were selected. Measures included the use of diagnostic imaging, timing of surgical repair (immediate, <24 hours after injury; delayed, >24 hours), surgical approach, and long-term complications (ie, erectile dysfunction and penile curvature).

RESULTS

The review highlighted the benefits of immediate surgical repair in penile fractures, demonstrating improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, it found that surgical repair should be considered even in cases with delayed presentation (>24 hours after injury). To better evaluate the long-term impact of delayed surgical intervention on patient outcomes, we recommend standardized postoperative follow-up, with routine assessments of erectile function and penile curvature.

CONCLUSION

Contemporary literature suggests that immediate and delayed surgical repair of penile fractures leads to adequate postoperative outcomes, and patients presenting >24 hours after injury should still be considered for surgery.

Role of penile rehabilitation through daily intake of 5 mg tadalafil on erectile dysfunction after different presentations of penile fracture: a prospective case-control study

PURPOSE

We aimed in the current study to identify the predictive factors of ED occurrence in healthy individuals following penile fracture surgical repair as well as the effect of penile rehabilitation in the form of daily tadalafil 5 mg intake for 1 month for patients who suffered from ED after penile fracture incident.

METHOD

The current study was a prospective case-control study. Twenty-five patients were enrolled into the study starting from January (2022) to February (2023). Furthermore, time of presentation was determined, and length of tear intra-operative was measured, and then, a follow-up 1 week postoperatively in the outpatient clinic was conducted. All patients were instructed to start intercourse at least 2 weeks after the first visit provided that the wound epithelialized. Potent patients returned back home. A rehabilitation course of daily tadalafil 5 mg for 1 month was prescribed for patients who started complaining of ED that was confirmed by evaluation with the Arabic validated version of the international index of erectile function (ArIIEF-5). The rehabilitation therapy was terminated by resumption of normal erectile function. Thus, re-evaluation with the ArIIEF-5 was determined according to their response to therapy. Also, the patients were evaluated by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) before and after penile fracture repair.

RESULTS

The current study had demonstrated that a 1% increase in age determines an increase in odds ratio for post-penile fracture ED with 73.6% and 1 cm increase in the length of tear determines an increase in odds ratio for post-penile fracture ED with 20.04 times.

CONCLUSION

The current study enhances the proper counseling of these patients prior to repairing the defect about the probability of ED occurrence as well as initiating early penile rehabilitation to help these patients resuming their normal sexual activity as soon as possible.

Efficacy and Safety of Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum in the Treatment of Peyronie's Disease: An Evidence-Based Analysis

Background

Peyronie's disease (PD) is a chronic wound healing disorder, mainly involving tunica albuginea. Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum (CCH) has shown its effectiveness in treating PD, but its efficacy and safety remain controversial, which propelled us to conduct the first evidence-based research on this topic.

Methods

We searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov for related randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the penile curvature deformity (PCD), Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire peyronie's disease symptom bother (PDSB), penile pain score, total treatment-related adverse events (TAEs), and specific adverse events, including penile pain, penile edema, injection site pain, and contusion. Cochrane Collaboration's tool and Review Manager 5.3.0 version were applied, respectively, to evaluate the study quality and heterogeneity.

Results

Four articles (five RCTs) with 1,227 patients were finally included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that CCH had excellent efficacy in relieving PCD (weighted mean difference [WMD]: −318.77, p &lt; 0.001) and PDSB (WMD: −1.20, p &lt; 0.001) compared to the placebo group, but there was no difference in the penile pain score (WMD: −0.64, P = 0.39) between the two groups. Furthermore, the incidence of TAEs in the CCH group was higher [odds ratio (OR): 12.86, p &lt; 0.001].

Conclusions

The current evidence suggests that CCH has a significant effect on treating PD. Considering that all these adverse events are acceptable and curable, CCH could slow the disease progression in the acute phase or act as a substitute for patients unable or unwilling to undergo surgery. However, the conclusion could not be certainly drawn until RCTs with a larger scale proved it.

[Non-infectious emergencies of the lower urinary tract and genitals]

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this narrative review was to report the most relevant data on the contemporary management of the main non-infectious emergencies of the lower urinary tract and genital organs.

METHODS

A narrative synthesis of the articles (French, English) available on the Pubmed database was carried out in June 2021. A request to the health surveillance network for emergencies and deaths (SurSaUD®, Santé Publique France) revealed original data on the epidemiology of non-infectious lower urinary tract and genital organs emergencies.

RESULTS

Non-infectious emergencies of the low urinary tract and genital organs represent a large panel of traumatic and non-traumatic situations, which constitute the 3rd reasons in urology for a consultation at the emergency department after, infectious disease (1st) and non-traumatic/non-infectious emergencies of the upper urinary tract (2nd). Hematuria is the 3rd urological reason for men for a consultation at the emergency department. Globally, pelvic trauma and genital traumatism mainly concern men. These emergencies rarely affect the prognosis but can be integrated into more complete situations which are likely to impact their treatment, particularly in multiple traumas.

CONCLUSIONS

In this article we report the epidemiology and the principles of management of non-infectious emergencies of the lower urinary tract and genital organs.

Conservative Therapy for Peyronie's Disease: a Contemporary Review of the Literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To analyze the literature on current conservative treatment options for Peyronie's disease (PD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Conservative therapy with intralesional collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is safe and efficacious in either the acute or chronic phases of PD. Combination treatment with penile traction therapy (PTT) can produce even better results. While most PTT devices require extended periods of therapy up to 8 h per day, the RestoreX® device can be effective at 30-90 min per day. A variety of conservative therapies are available for treatment of PD. The available literature does not reveal any treatment benefit of oral therapies. Intralesional therapy is the mainstay conservative treatment of PD. Intralesional CCH therapy is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved intralesional therapy and represents the authors' preference for medical therapy. The most effective conservative management of PD likely requires a combination of therapies.