Peyronie's Disease; Symptoms
You may feel a flattened lump or hard tissue like a band under the skin of the prostate which is also known as plaque, that can accumulate within the blood vessels.
Excessive curvature of the penis downward/upward/or bend to one side.
Erectile dysfunction
Shortened penis.
Penile pain with or without an erection.
Other penile deformities like indentations or narrowing of the shaft of the penis.
The symptoms worsen if not treated for 3 to 12 months after the onset of the disease.
With treatment, the pain can be relieved but its effects such as curvature and penile shortening often require separate treatment for correction.
Peyronie's Disease; Causes
The exact cause of Peyronie's disease is unknown. Several factors are said to be at play like:
- It results from a recurrent injury to the penis (either during sex, athletic activity, or by accident).
The body attempts to heal the injury that results in disorganized scar tissue formation and that can be felt by the patient or is seen as the curved pen.
- On either side of the penis, there is a tube (corpus cavernosum) consisting of several small blood vessels, which is encased within a sheath of elastic tissue called the tunica albuginea (that expands during erection.
- In Peyronie's disease, when the patient's penis becomes erect, the scar tissue doesn't allow this expansion and appears deformed and causes pain.
In some cases, Peyronie's disease may not be associated with any injury. Further research is needed for explaining the cause of this disease.
Peyronie's Disease; Risk factors
Minor injury to the penis accompanied by poor wound healing and scar tissue build-up may contribute towards Peyronie's disease.
Several other factors increase the risk of developing this condition such as include:
Family history: If someone in your family has this condition you may be at risk.
Medical history: Those who have a history of connective tissue disorders may be at risk for Peyronie's disease.
Age: this condition may occur at all ages but more likely in men between 50s and 60s. A small amount of curvature in younger men is normal.
Certain health conditions, smoking, and previous prostate surgery might increase the risk of Peyronie's disease.
Peyronie's Disease; Complications
Difficulty in getting an erection (erectile dysfunction)
Inability to have sex
Pain in the penis
Stress-related to sexual abilities
Difficulty reproducing as sexual intercourse becomes difficult
Shortened penis length
Peyronie's Disease; Diagnosis
The doctor often requires only a physical exam to diagnose the scar tissue in the penis characteristic of Peyronie's disease. Rarely, other conditions produce such symptoms.
Your doctor may suggest an ultrasound or other tests confirm the diagnosis.
Peyronie's Disease; Treatment
Treatment recommendations for Peyronie's disease depend on the severity of the symptoms.
Acute phase: This marks the early phase of the disease with symptoms like pain and curvature lasting for two to four weeks and even up to a year.
Chronic phase: is marked by stabilizing symptoms with minimal or no pain, the deforming curvature of the spine slows down, occurs 3-12 months after the onset of symptoms.
To stop the shortening and curvature of the prostate during the acute phase, the treatment options include medicines and injection therapies like interferon injections.
For the chronic phase of the disease, a variety of options are available like:
No treatment and observation with regular check-ups.
Injection treatments
Shockwave therapy
Traction therapy
Surgery that helps in lengthening the affected part, shortening the unaffected side, and insertion of penile implants.
Oral medications are not used in treating the disease in the chronic phase.
