Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a common condition that affects a man’s penis. It is named after the French surgeon who first wrote about it in the 19th century.
PD causes the erect penis to bend because of an abnormal plaque of collagen—a kind of scar tissue under the skin of the penis. Nobody knows what causes this to happen. Usually, it is men in their 50s who are affected, but it can occur in men at any age. Estimates about how common it really is vary widely, but it is likely that as many as one in 20 men in the UK has PD. The bend can make penetrative sex difficult or impossible and as a result can have a huge impact on emotional and psychological wellbeing with half of affected men suffering from depression and relationship problems.
Men are often embarrassed to seek help when anything personal or intimate is involved. When men do go to the doctor at this stage they are often worried that the lump might be cancer. Fortunately, PD is straightforward to diagnose, and most patients can be quickly reassured.
Once a man is told that this is not cancer, the next question is ‘What happens now?’ For the first 12 to 24 months, PD is in what we call the ‘active phase’, which means that the man’s erections will continue to be painful and the bend in the penis continues to get worse. In about one third of cases the bend will never exceed 30 degrees. When the condition is this mild, patients might not need treatment. In the remaining cases, the bend can become very severe; sometimes more than 120 degrees. Once the condition has passed the active phase, the patient will be left with a permanent bend that can make sex impossible.
In the active phase there are no good treatments. Once the bend in the penis is stable, men can be offered surgery, which is effective. There are risks to surgery, but the thing that worries most patients is that the surgery results in a penis that is shorter than before. Recently, a non-surgical injectable treatment of an enzyme called collagenase has become available. This softens and breaks up the lump but doesn’t cause shortening of the penis, or some of the other unwanted effects of surgery. Part of the treatment is that the patient has to perform physiotherapy on their penis at home several times a day, bending and stretching it to break up the scar tissue. A patient might need as many as eight injections over the course of six months to get the best effect.
See also: Male Health Awareness
This common condition can cause great unhappiness and distress if left untreated. There are several good treatments available, including surgical and non-surgical options. If you have this condition, please don’t be afraid to come and talk to your doctor about it. The website has been devised by international healthcare company Sobi to provide information, support and advice on treatment options to men suffering with the disease.
Read more on Celebrity Angels on the most common men’s health issues including peyronie’s disease.
