Peyronie's disease or also known as penile curvature, is a disease that affects men during an erection, causing pain, loss of stiffness in the penis, hardness and nodules, complicating the practice of sexual intercourse.
This usually occurs after micro trauma to the body of the penis that generates a scar, assuming a disorder of the connective tissue that affects the tunica albugínea of the corpora cavernosa. Later becoming fibrous plaques or lumps and in most cases, benign, non-cancerous cysts.
How many men does this disease affect?
Die Peyronie-Krankheit betrifft einen von zehn Männern über 40 Jahren. Trotz dieses hohen Vorkommens handelt es sich um eine wenig bekannte Erkrankung. Die Krümmung des Penis kann zwischen dem 20. und dem 80. Lebensjahr auftreten, obwohl sie am häufigsten ab 50 Jahren festgestellt wird und sich mit dem Alter verschlimmert. Es handelt sich um eine Krankheit, deren Grad gemessen wird, so dass die Entwicklung in der Regel fortschreitend ist. Obwohl die Ursache der Krankheit nicht bekannt ist, kann sie durch eine Reihe von Faktoren wie genetische Veranlagung oder durchgeführte lokale Operationen beeinflusst werden.
Disease stages and treatments
The first phase of the disease, known as the active phase, is characterized by penile pain that occurs during an erection. In addition, patients experience progressive curvature of the penis. The active painful phase of Peyronie's disease usually lasts between five and seven months, but can continue up to twelve months. In the second phase of the disease, the chronic phase, the pain in the penis will ease and the curvature of the penis will stabilize.
There are several treatment options such as conservative and surgical available for Peyronie's disease. Conservative treatments such as oral, topical, or shock wave therapy are primarily focused on relieving penile pain and preventing further disease progression. Injectable therapies are another conservative treatment option. Whereas, when the patient with the pathology cannot have satisfactory sexual relations, the alternative to correct the curvature is surgical therapy.
