PEYRONIE'S DISEASE - PENILE CURVATURE - BENT PENIS

 

Francois de La Peyronie	Penile curvature that is upward and to the left

 

Peyronie's Disease is a disorder of the penis characterized by focal scarring and penile curvature. Men who develop this disorder notice a bent penis penis during erections. The penis curve can develop very gradually. However, in some cases, a man may wake up one morning and notice his penis significantly bent with a morning erection.  This abnormal penis curvature is usually caused by a disease called Peyronie's disease.  In addition to penis curvature, often an upward curved penis, the disease can also be associated with painful erections and/or a decrease in the quality and/or duration of erections (erectile dysfunction). Peyronie's Disease is named after Francois de La Peyronie who described the acquired penile curvature characteristic of the disease in 1743.

 

Many of our patients who come to our Center for Reconstructive Urology, located at UC, Irvine in Orange County, California, often are not familiar with their condition. They think they have a rare disease that they may have to "live with", or believe they may have cancer. The following are frequently asked questions.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Peyronie's Disease

Why is my penis now bent? The penis bends because, during an erection, one side of the penis stretches less than the other side. This is because of scarring (plaque) that restricts expansion of one side. When one side is longer than the opposite side, this cause a bend.

 

How did this happen to me? The exact cause if often unknown. There may be genetic factors and trauma to the penis during sex may be a factor, but not always. More detailed information can be found in the "Causes" section

 

Could this be Cancer? No. Also, Peyronie's Disease is not contagious and is not sexually transmitted.

 

Does Vitamin E help, or are there medications that can cure Peyronie's Disease? Vitamin E is generally ineffective. There are many medications that have been tried and some continue to be reccommended. In addiiton, medical management options include injections of medications into the plaque. In general, medical management may be helpfu, but is often ineffective. However, there are Urologists with a special interest in Peyronie's Disease who are always testing new medications. When this testing is done within an approved research protocol, this is beneficial as effective medical management would represent an important research advance. There are many websites on the internet that promote different products. In many cases the main beneficiary is the person selling the product for profit.

 

Can Peyronie's Disease be cured with surgery? Surgery does not cure the disease, but can reliably straighten a curved penis. Many of our patients have curvature that is disabling. The word "disabling" can mean a bend so severe that penetration is impossible, or a lesser curvature that interferes with intercouse by limiting positions and enjoyment, or a bend that causes partner discomfort.

 

Is my sex life over? No.

 

If you are a man suffering from Peyronie's Disease, this website will provide you with information to help you understand this disorder and what treatment options are available.

 

The following pages describe normal penile anatomy and function, the causes of the disease, the symptoms and changes that occur with Peyronie's Disease, and the current non-surgical options for the medical treatment of a crooked penis. The surgery-plication and surgery-graft sections discuss surgery options to straighten penis curvature. Some patients with penile curvature have up to approximately 90 degrees of curvature, which prevents sexual intercourse. These patients are often referred to Dr. Gelman at the Center for Reconstructive Urology by their Urologists after failed Peyronie's treatment with medications and topical creams or penis stretching devices. These patients undergo penile curvature correction and are then able to resume sexual relations. Men who develop an abnormal penis with a disabling curve should know that the curvature can be successfully treated, allowing them to resume sexual intercourse.

 

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