Peyronie's disease
What is Peyronie’s disease?
Peyronie’s disease is an uncommon condition that affects a man’s sex life because his penis curves abnormally and causes pain when he has an erection. He might also be unable to have a hard erection. The curvature of the penis is caused by a band of fibrous tissue, called a plaque, that forms in the penis. This inflexible tissue prevents expansion of the penis during an erection, causing curvature towards the affected side. It is most common in men aged between 40 and 60 years.
What causes Peyronie’s disease?
Peyronie’s disease is not a sexually transmitted disease, and it’s not cancer, however, doctors are still not certain of the exact cause of the disease. It’s possible that the fibrous tissue may form because of an autoimmune disease, where the body’s normal defence mechanism against infection — the immune system — turns on the body itself. It may also be due to injury, for example, if the penis is damaged during sex, or if a man has had an injury to the groin area.
Peyronie's disease is sometimes associated with a condition called Dupytren's contracture, where a similar fibrous band occurs in the palm of the hand.
How do you know if you have Peyronie’s disease?
Although it’s normal for an erect penis to be curved slightly, a man with Peyronie’s disease will have an abnormal amount of curvature of the penis when he has an erection, which may make it difficult for him to have sex. He may also suffer pain when he has an erection, or he might be able to have only soft ‘erections’, and his penis may be shorter or narrower than it used to be.
Treatments for Peyronie's disease
Over time, Peyronie’s disease often resolves itself, so in many cases treatment is not required.
If severe, Peyronie’s disease can be rectified by surgery to shorten the opposite side of the penis from the fibrous tissue to try to even out the curve; or to replace the fibrous tissue by grafting healthy tissue to the affected area; or to implant a prosthesis to help straighten the penis and help make it firm enough to have sex. The drawback is that surgery can cause further scarring, making the condition worse, so it’s usually reserved for severe cases that have not resolved after one year. (Because the condition often improves on its own, doctors recommend waiting at least one year before considering surgical treatments.)
Various other non-surgical treatments have been tried to reduce the pain of Peyronie’s disease and help soften the fibrous tissue, including vitamin E, ultrasound and corticosteroid injections. However, no medical treatments have been proven to remove or reduce penile scarring, and some of these treatments have significant side effects.
Last Reviewed: 16 December 2009
- 1. Andrology Australia [website]. Peyronie s disease (updated 2006, October). Available at: http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/docs/Factsheet_Peyronies.pdf (Accessed 2009, Dec 17)
2. National Kidney and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) [website]. Peyronie s disease (updated 2009, April). Available at: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/peyronie/ (accessed 2009, Dec 17)
