Peyronie's Disease Specialists

What is Peyronie's Disease?

Peyronie's disease is a problem that causes the penis to bend when you have an erection. The curvature is due to scar tissue called plaques that form beneath the skin of the penis. You might be able to feel the plaques through your skin, and they can be painful, too.

Plaques most often form on the top of the penis, causing it to bend upwards when erect. If plaques form on the underside, the penis curves down, and if plaques are on the side of the penis, it curves sideways.

It’s possible to have several plaques in different places that can cause odd distortions in the erect penis. Some men have plaques that go around the penis rather than along it. This causes sections of the penis to narrow, which is called bottle-necking or waisting.

Peyronie’s disease can sometimes result in complications like calcium deposits building up on the plaques that can harden like bone. The penis can also shrink or get shorter when you have Peyronie’s disease.

What Causes Peyronie’s Disease?

Peyronie’s disease stems from a problem with the way your body heals after an injury to the penis. Many cases of Peyronie’s disease develop when scar tissue forms after an injury. This could happen during sex if your penis gets bent. Sports injuries and other accidents could cause the growth of scar tissue, which then turns into plaques.

Because not every man who injures his penis is going to get Peyronie’s disease, it’s likely that there’s an environmental or genetic influence as well. Having a connective tissue disorder like Dupuytren's contractures or a family member who has Peyronie’s disease increases your risk of developing plaques.

Peyronie’s disease is also more common in men who smoke or have high blood sugar.

How is Peyronie’s Disease Treated?

Occasionally Peyronie’s disease resolves without treatment. If your condition isn’t causing you any particular problems, it might be worth waiting to see what happens.

If you’re experiencing pain, having problems with intercourse, or feel anxious about having Peyronie’s disease, there are some medications that can help. Your provider can discuss the options with you and help you decide which is most appropriate.

Evidence for the effectiveness of these treatments is in short supply. However, the team at Associated Urologists of North Carolina achieves great success with an injectable therapy called Xiaflex® (collagenase clostridium histolyticum). Xiaflex works by breaking down the collagen in the plaques.

If your Peyronie’s disease is severe and causing disabling abnormalities, surgery could be an option.

Surgery aims to address the cause of the curvature in your penis, and there are three methods of achieving this. Your surgeon could make the opposite side of the curved area shorter, lengthen the side that curves, or insert a prosthetic device to straighten the penis.

If you have Peyronie’s disease, don’t ignore it, as the expert team at Associated Urologists of North Carolina can help. Call the office nearest you today.