ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the value of ultrasound in diagnosis of Peyronie's disease (PD). Methods The ultrasonic characteristics of 48 PD patients were analyzed, and numbers of penile plaques detected with ultrasound and clinical palpation were compared. Results Totally 66 penile plaques were detected with clinical palpation and 80 plaques were detected with ultrasound (Z=1.812 5, P<0.05). Among 80 plaques detected with ultrasound, 48 (48/80, 60.00%) showed medium and high echo, 24 (24/80, 30.00%) showed strong echo, 6 (6/80, 7.50%) were hypoechoic, and 2 plaques (2/80, 2.50%) were hyperechoic accompanied calcification. Strip or punctate blood flow signals were found in the periphery of 4 plaques and the interior of 5 plaques, while strip blood flow signals were detected in the interior and periphery of 1 plaque. Two PD patients accompanied with penile arterial insufficiency, and 1 accompanied with penile veno-occlusive dysfunction. Conclusion Ultrasound is superior to palpation in the detection of penile plaque in PD patients,which can detect blood flow inside and around the plaques and evaluate penile vascular function in patients with erectile dysfunction, providing a basis for clinical treatment and prognostic evaluation of PD.