{"id":1105,"date":"2016-12-13T20:47:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T20:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/?p=1105"},"modified":"2021-04-21T13:38:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T12:38:15","slug":"is-it-normal-to-have-a-curved-penis-or-could-it-be-a-symptom-of-peyronies-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/13\/is-it-normal-to-have-a-curved-penis-or-could-it-be-a-symptom-of-peyronies-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it normal to have a curved penis, or could it be a symptom of Peyronie\u2019s disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Peyronie\u2019s
\nAlthough it\u2019s not uncommon for the penis to curve slightly when it\u2019s erect, a more significant bend may be a symptom of Peyronie\u2019s disease<\/strong>. It\u2019s no longer considered to be an uncommon or rare problem as more and more men are desperate to communicate or share their concerns with their clinicians, if not their family and friends.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s time we dealt with it more openly, just as we did with erectile dysfunction (ED)<\/strong> over the last two decades.<\/p>\n

What is Peyronie\u2019s disease?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peyronie\u2019s disease (PD)<\/em> is the commonest cause of bent penis and, although known to medicine for over 250 years ago, the underlying cause is not yet understood. As a consequence, treatments have been directed towards treating the symptoms rather than the cause.<\/p>\n

PD is a collagen disorder that is characterised by scar tissue, called plaques, that form under the skin. These plaques can cause the penis to bend during erections (although curvature is the most common \u2018deformity\u2019, others include indentation, hourglass narrowing, loss of girth and penis shrinkage\/shortening):<\/p>\n

\"curved<\/p>\n

The resulting curvature may make penetrative sex difficult or painful to the patient and\/or his partner, causing additional physical\/psychological distress and difficulties in the relationship. ED may set in due to pain\/deformity\/distress.<\/p>\n

Most men with PD present with it in their mid-fifties without any previous injury\/event to account for it. Pain present in the initial stage resolves with time in >90% of cases. The penile curvature is progressive in 30-50% of men and stabilises in 47-67% with a hard\/calcified plaque.1,2<\/sup><\/p>\n

PD can be associated in some cases with co-existent Dupuytren\u2019s contracture (DC; bent fingers) or Ledderhose scarring of plantar fascia (bent toes). 9-39% men with PD reported co-existent DC, whereas 4% of men with DC also had PD. Other associated risk factors are diabetes, hypertension, ischaemic cardiopathy, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, ED and dyslipidaemia \u2013 although their contributions to the condition are unclear.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why does PD develop?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Minor i<\/strong>njury<\/em><\/p>\n

The most widely accepted hypothesis is that PD develops after an injury to the penis when erect, such as being bent during vigorous sex. Injury to the tunica albuginea, a collagen tissue layer within the penis, may cause scar tissue to form in the collagen coating (fibrosis). This scar tissue then forms the plaques of PD.<\/p>\n

Genetic predisposition <\/em><\/p>\n

Some researches think that there may be genetic reasons for why PD plaques form. However, PD is different to \u2018congenital penile curvature (CPC)\u2019 where men are born with curvature of the penis (noticeable as soon as young men become sexually active); PD is an \u2018acquired\u2019 condition not \u2018congenital\u2019.<\/p>\n

How common is PD?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prevalence of PD varies widely from 0.5-20% in the literature, making it a significant patient burden on any health care system.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

However, this could just be the tip of the iceberg, as most men tend to shy away from approaching their doctor due to embarrassment. It is therefore crucial that clinicians probe into this issue when assessing men presenting with ED and\/or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), as they can co-exist with PD.<\/p>\n

The personal impact of PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

PD is known to have physical and psychological impact, with a high incidence of clinical depression in those affected. Up to half of men with PD admit to it having an adverse impact on their relationship, never mind the negative impact on their masculine image and quality of sex life.<\/p>\n

They tend to suffer silently, and so do their partners.<\/p>\n

Stages of PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Men with PD first go through an \u2018active\/acute\u2019 phase; this is characterised by dynamic and changing symptoms, in particular penile pain and deformity on erection which leads to increasing distress. Erections may or may not be compromised.<\/p>\n

The condition then enters its \u2018stable\/chronic\u2019 phase, with symptoms remaining unchanged for 3-6 months. In this phase the pain may subside but deformity\/curvature and plaque remain.<\/p>\n

In 3-15% of men, the disease process is known to resolve spontaneously over 6-12 months, particularly in younger men.1,2,4<\/sup><\/p>\n

How to manage PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

The focus of treatment is on symptom control rather than disease cure. After a clinical diagnosis of PD, supported by an ultrasound scan (USS) or MRI if necessary, the active phase is best managed by masterly inactivity<\/em> or doing very little actively, to allow the condition to take its course until the process is stabilised or resolved.<\/p>\n

During this phase what the patient really needs most is:<\/p>\n