Common Causes of Peyronie's Disease

A bent penis and painful erections might feel a bit embarrassing to talk about, but there’s nothing shameful about Peyronie’s disease. The condition is both quite common, affecting at least 4%-10% of men ages 40-70, and treatable. And the sooner you seek proper diagnosis and treatment for Peyronie’s disease, the more likely you’ll be to experience relief while lowering your risk for increasingly challenging symptoms down the road.

Drs. John Bertini and James Harris at Gulf Coast Urology in Houston and Nassau Bay, Texas offer comprehensive treatment for Peyronie’s disease. Read on to learn more about this condition, including contributing factors.

Peyronie’s disease basics

Peyronie’s disease develops when scar tissue known plaque builds up beneath the skin of your penis and leads to unusual curvature. Symptoms of Peryonie’s disease aren’t always obvious until the penis is erect and they tend to increase in severity over time.

In addition to the hallmark bend, Peyronie’s disease can cause:

• Penis pain that flares up or worsens with erections
• Hard lumps under the penile skin
• Painful intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction, or difficulty achieving or maintaining erections
• Smaller erections or penis shortening
• Reduced girth
• Reduced self-confidence or sexual self-esteem
• Intimate relationship conflicts

Peyronie’s disease causes

In some cases, trauma to the penis causes the plaque of Peyronie’s disease to develop, after inflammation from an injury causes scarring. In other instances, the exact cause remains unknown. However, the following factors may increase your risk for Peyronie’s disease:

• Being middle-aged or older
• Close family history of Peyronie’s disease
• Connective tissue disorders, such as plantar fasciitis and scleroderma
• A history of prostate cancer 
• Autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes or lupus

Peyronie’s disease treatment

Once you have been diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease, your doctor will recommend a customized treatment plan. Treatment aims to relieve pain, straighten your penis, and restore normal sexual function. Depending on factors, such as the severity of your symptoms, your treatment may include oral or injected medications, stretch therapy, also called traction, shockwave therapy, or, in severe cases, surgery. 

Some people with Peyronie’s disease benefit from wearing a special device daily or only while sleeping for several months. If you prefer not to take medications or if medications only go so far, you may prefer this option. When more conservative treatments don’t suffice, surgery can help by removing scar tissue and reducing curvature or by inserting an inflatable penile implant for improved erections during sex.

To learn more about Peyronie’s disease, get evaluated for the condition, or start treatment, call Gulf Coast Urology or request an appointment with Dr. Bertini and Dr. Harris through our website.