Peyronie's Disease

What is Peyronie's disease?

Peyronie's disease is a condition in which pieces of flat scar tissue, called plaques, develop below your penile skin. The plaques can cause your penis to curve and can make erections painful. Some men who suffer from Peyronie's disease also have erectile dysfunction, but they're two separate conditions. 

What causes Peyronie’s disease?

The causes of Peyronie’s disease aren’t clear, but researchers believe that trauma to the penis causes many cases. It can also occur in uninjured patients, however. Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in these cases. If you suffer from health problems like Type 2 diabetes, slow wound-healing may contribute to the development of Peyronie’s disease. 

What are the symptoms of Peyronie's disease?

The symptoms of Peyronie's disease can include:

• Plaques, which you can feel through your penile skin
• Curved penis
• Bumps in your penis
• Pain when your penis is erect
• Difficulty achieving a hard erection
• Bottle-neck shape in your penis shaft
• Difficulty in having intercourse

Many men think that their penis is shortened with Peyronie’s disease. Although it's not actually shorter, the plaques can restrict movement enough to make it look like your penis is shorter.

How is Peyronie's disease treated?

There are several options for Peyronie's disease treatment, including:

Oral medications

Some oral medications can help prevent the growth of scar tissue, but they don't affect what’s already there. For this reason, oral medications are generally only effective for early-stage Peyronie’s disease.

Injections

Injected medications, which your urologist places directly into your penis with a thin syringe, can break down the tough plaques. Injections are generally the most effective treatment for Peyronie’s disease. 

Stretching

A stretching device might be helpful in some cases of Peyronie's disease, especially for correcting the curvature of your penis.

Corrective surgery

Corrective surgery can restore the appearance of your penis by either shortening the side of your penis across from the plaque, lengthening the curved side of your penis, or placing a penile prosthesis implant in your penis. Usually, corrective surgery is only needed in severe cases of Peyronie’s disease that don't respond to other forms of treatment. 

The urologists at Advanced Urology Medical Offices are specialists in Peyronie’s disease, so reach out by calling the office nearest you now, or you can use online scheduling for the best in Peyronie’s disease diagnosis and treatment.