In a retrospective study of 408 patients with Peyronie's disease 8 (1.9%) patients gave a positive family history for the condition. Sixty-three (15.4%) patients had a Dupuytren's contracture and trauma was considered to be an aetiological factor in 88 (21.5%) patients. One hundred and twenty-two (29.9%) patients had evidence of atherosclerosis and this is thought to be a factor in the pathogenesis of the disease. Peyronie's disease is not a single disease entity and is associated with many aetiological factors.