Peyronie's disease is an alteration of the penis that causes the growth of hard fibrosis plaques on one side of the penis body, causing an abnormal curvature of the penis to develop, which makes erection and intimate contact difficult.
This condition appears throughout life and should not be confused with the congenital curved penis, which is present at birth and is usually diagnosed during adolescence.
Peyronie's disease can be cured by surgery to remove the fibrosis plaque, however, in some cases it may also be possible to use injections directly into the plaques to try to reduce the change in the penis, especially if the disease has started in less than 12 months.
Main symptoms
The most common symptoms of Peyronie's disease include:
- Abnormal curvature of the penis during erection; Presence of lump in the body of the penis; Pain during erection; Difficulty in penetration.
Some men may also experience depressive symptoms, such as sadness, irritability and lack of sexual desire, as a result of the changes they have in their sexual organ.
The diagnosis of Peyronie's Disease is made by the urologist through palpation and observation of the sexual organ, radiography or ultrasound to check for the presence of fibrosis plaque.
What causes Peyronie's disease
There is still no specific cause for Peyronie's disease, however it is possible that minor injuries during intercourse or during sports, which lead to the appearance of an inflammatory process in the penis, can cause the formation of fibrosis plaques.
These plaques accumulate in the penis, causing it to harden and alter its shape.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of Peyronie's disease is not always necessary, as the fibrosis plaques can disappear naturally after a few months or even cause a very slight change that has no impact on the man's life. However, when the disease persists or causes a lot of discomfort, some injections like Potaba, Colchicine or Betamethasone can be used, which will help to destroy the fibrosis plaques.
Treatment with vitamin E in the form of an ointment or pills is also recommended when symptoms appeared less than 12 months ago, and helps to break down fibrosis plaques and decrease the curvature of the penis.
In the most severe cases, surgery in Peyronie's Disease is the only option, as it allows to remove all fibrosis plaques and correct the curvature of the penis. In this type of surgery, a shortening of 1 to 2 cm of the penis is common.
Learn more about the different techniques to treat this disease.
