THURSDAY, June 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Many men have likely never heard of Peyronie’s disease, but they could need to brush up on this condition since it causes the penis to curve abnormally during an erection.
Peyronie’s disease typically affects men over 30, and it appears to be brought on by the build-up of plaque within the tunica albuginea. The tunica albuginea is the inner lining of the penis, and it helps the penis remain stiff during an erection. Here, experts will explore what Peyronie’s disease is, its causes, symptoms and the way it will possibly be treated.
What’s Peyronie’s disease
In accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Peyronie’s disease can develop when there’s a physical injury to the penis, scar tissue forms, and the hard plaque that may construct on scar tissue pulls on the encircling tissue of the penis and causes a curve, often when the penis is erect.
In a patient page provided by the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Christopher Gaffney and Dr. James Kashanian, each urologists at Recent York-Presbyterian Hospital in Recent York City, state that “Peyronie’s disease may cause pain (with or without erections), inability to have interaction in penetrative sexual activity, erectile dysfunction, emotional distress, depression and relationship difficulties. It develops in as much as 5% to 10% of men.”
Peyronie’s disease versus normal curvature
The Cleveland Clinic uses the analogy of a clock to measure the curve in a penis and help distinguish Peyronie’s disease versus normal curvature. A median penis can have a curve of 5 to 30 degrees. A 5-degree curve looks like when the hands of a clock read 9:13; a 30-degree curve looks like 9:10. Peyronie’s disease may cause your penis to look as if it has an indent or hourglass shape. You might also notice a lack of girth or length in your erection.
What causes Peyronie’s disease
The NIH reports that the precise reason behind Peyronie’s disease is unknown, even though it is suspected that a chronic or acute injury to the penis or an autoimmune disease could also be aspects.
Your risk of Peyronie’s disease increases if you might have the next:
- Vigorous sexual (or nonsexual) activities
- Diabetes and erectile dysfunction
- Prostate cancer and surgery
- Family history of Peyronie’s disease
- Connective tissue or autoimmune disorder
Peyronie’s disease symptoms
The NIH lists the next symptoms of Peyronie’s disease:
- Hard lumps on a number of sides of the penis
- Pain during sexual activity or with an erection
- A curve within the penis with or without an erection
- Changes in the form of the penis, reminiscent of a narrowing or shortening
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
The symptoms may develop quickly or over time, they usually will be mild or severe.
Peyronie’s disease treatment
Peyronie’s disease treatment relies on how long you might have been having symptoms. The Mayo Clinic describes the acute phase as when you might have pain or changes in curvature, length or deformity of the penis. The chronic phase is when the symptoms are stable, and no further changes occur. Peyronie’s disease treatments are based on the extent of deformity and severity of symptoms.
Your health care provider may recommend penis traction and medical or injection therapies throughout the acute phase. Within the chronic phase, several treatments can be found, including waiting, injections, traction or surgery.
Peyronie’s disease medications that could be prescribed are:
- Collagenase: U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved, it really works by breaking down the build-up of collagen that causes the curvature
- Verapamil: Often used to treat hypertension, it appears to disrupt the production of collagen and will reduce pain
- Interferon: Disrupts the production of fibrous tissue and helps to interrupt it down, and may reduce pain
Peyronie’s disease medical procedures include penile traction, which stretches the penis with a machine over a time period to diminish the deformity and increase the length of the organ. It could be utilized in the acute phase, or combined with other treatments within the chronic phase, for instance, after surgery.
Surgery is generally advisable if the deformity is severe or prevents you from having intercourse. It typically isn’t offered until the curve is stable for 3 to 6 months and will consist of the next options:
- Suturing the unaffected side: This leads to a straightening of the curve.
- Incision, excision or grafting: Scar tissue could also be removed, and a graft is sewn into place within the tunica albuginea. This surgery increases the danger of erectile dysfunction, compared with suturing.
- Penile implants: Placed within the spongy a part of the penis that fills with blood, it could be semirigid and manipulated to cause an erection for intercourse. One variety of implant incorporates a pump and is used if erectile dysfunction is a priority.
When you are experiencing any of the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease, seek the advice of your health care provider.