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What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease is an inflammatory condition of the penis. It is characterized by the formation of plaque or hardened scar tissue within the erectile tissue of the penis. It begins as a localized inflammation and can develop into a hardened scar, which leads to painful erection and curvature of the erect penis. Although the disease is more common among middle-aged men, younger and older men can also be affected.

What causes it?

Peyronie's disease is not a sexually transmitted disease or cancer.In most cases, the cause of it is unknown. People with injury to the penis, family history, or certain connective tissue diseases (such as development of fibrosis in other elastic tissues of the body) will have higher risk of developing Peyronie's disease.

What are the common symptoms?

Peyronie's disease can be mild, moderate or severe, and symptoms may develop slowly or appear overnight. Common symptoms of Peyronie's disease include:

Development of penile plaques (lumps) which may be painless
Penile curvature
A plaque on the topside of the penis (more common) will cause it to curve upwards. The plaque may also develop on the underside of the penis and causes it to curve downwards. In some cases, plaques develop on both top and bottom, which shorten and distort the penis.
Uncomfortable or painful erections
Erectile dysfunction

How can I prevent it?

Currently there is no way to prevent Peyronie’s disease from occurring.

What is the treatment?

Treatment will vary from case to case. Your doctor’s choice of an appropriate treatment will be based on the severity of your symptoms, the extent to which they affect your lifestyle (including sexual life), and the presence of any other medical conditions.

As the course of the disease is different in each patient and some patients will improve without treatment, watchful waiting is one of the treatment options especially for early diseases. Other treatment options include surgery, oral drug treatment, injection therapy and radiation therapy. Treatment will aim at pain reduction, correcting the penile curvature so that intercourse is comfortable, and overcoming the erectile dysfunction.

How can I help myself?

Consult a doctor when in doubt or if you experience painful erections and difficulty with intercourse. Do not use drugs without doctor’s prescription as wrong use of these drugs may lead to serious side effects.

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