What is Peyronie 's disease ?
Written by:Peyronie 's disease is a degenerative process of the penile tissue that produces a curvature or deviation in the penis. In most cases it is characterized by the appearance of a plaque of fibrosis in the tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa of the penis. As a consequence of fibrosis, the curvature or deviation of the penis that is appreciable during erection appears. There are slight and also severe curvatures, which can hinder penetration or make the erection painful. Its current name was coined in 1743 by French physician François Gigot De La Peyronie, surgeon of King Louis XV of France.
Causes of Peyronie's disease and risk factors
The causes of its appearance remain unknown and there are several theories about it, although none of them is conclusive. However, the most accepted theory among the scientific community is that the multiple microtrauma suffered by the penis during sexual intercourse would provoke an inflammatory response in predisposed individuals that eventually evolve into a fibrosis. It has also been linked to pathologies such as Dupuytren's syndrome.
Symptoms of Peyronie
The most common symptoms are the deformity of the penis in the state of erection and in the initial inflammatory phases, to feel pain during the erection. Because of the curvature of the penis, sometimes this can decrease in length and thickness. In more advanced stages, the erection can be seriously impaired. The patient who suffers from this disease, is usually very dismayed because the curvature is not only an aesthetic problem but it can progress and completely prevent penetration.
Diagnosis and treatment of Peyronie
- Exploration and palpation of the corpora cavernosa
- Self-photographs of penis in erection (kêlami technique), top and side view
- High resolution penile ultrasound to visualize fibrosis plaques or calcified nodules.
The treatment will depend on the age of the patient, the stage in which the disease is found, the degree of curvature and the type of lesion presented by the corpora cavernosa of the penis. Slight curvatures, diagnosed in the early stages of the disease, can be treated with a topical pharmacological treatment , applied with micro-voltage currents for a better penetration of the active principle (iontophoresis). The use of mechanical traction extenders, under medical supervision, is advisable for slight curvatures and of recent appearance. In more serious cases, it is necessary to resort to surgery .
In our Center we are pioneers in the application of innovative techniques for the surgical correction of the curvature, with very satisfactory results both aesthetically and of course, functional.
