Peyronie's disease affects the male sex organs. It manifests itself as penis curvature, problems with erection - caused by the reduced hardness of the penis and frequent pain during its duration. Sometimes Peyronie's disease can even lead to impotence.
She got her namePeyronie's disease , one of the symptoms of which ispenis curvature , she got her name from Louis XIV surgeon - Francis de la Pyronie who discovered it in 1743. Peyronie's disease is most common in men between the ages of 40 and 60 (it has not been said, however, that it cannot affect an 18-year-old). Fortunately, it is not a very widespread disease - around 1% of people suffer from it. population. The progression of Peyronie's disease can vary and the exact causes are unknown.
Peyronie's disease distorts penis
Peyronie's disease itself attacks genitals, specifically the penis-causes the formation of scar tissue within the whitish sheath of the penis shaft. It may be the result of unnoticeable micro-injuries during sexual intercourse, atherosclerotic lesions or it may be a hereditary issue (it has not been clearly confirmed, however). The scarring affects the restriction of blood supply and the formation of lumps (mainly on the bottom or top side of the penis), which cause the penis to curvature in the place where the scar is located or change its shape (the penis can change both its diameter and length, it may bulge). This can cause pain, and when the penis curvature is large - even make sexual intercourse impossible. The disease itself can take a different course. Occasionally, there are mild cases, the regression of which, until complete recovery, occurs spontaneously without treatment. Usually, however, a permanent and noticeable effect of the disease remains on the penis. Traces, such as the appearance of scar tissue, may also appear on the feet and hands.
Peyronie's disease diagnosis
Peyronie's disease is relatively easy to diagnose based on the symptoms you see. Additional tests, such as X-ray, ultrasound, cavernosography (imaging of blood vessels in the corpus cavernosum along with blood pressure measurements), computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging can help to determine the extent of the changes thattook place in the penis. If you experienceerection problemsyou can take night erection measurements, do a Doppler test (blood flow test) or a papaverine test (papaverine is injected into the cavernous body in the penis and checks for an erection. It helps determine the causes of impotence).
Peyronie's disease: treatment
Treatment can take three forms. Considering that in a large proportion of patients Peyronie's disease resolves spontaneously, patients with mild symptoms are only advised to be monitored and informed about possible ailments. Conservative treatment consists in administering appropriate drugs (up to about 12 months after the onset of the first symptoms) such as: vitamin E (the deficiency is responsible for the abnormal renewal of connective tissue and the formation of scarring changes) or potassium para-aminobenzoate (Potaba), the effectiveness of which has not been fully confirmed . Steroid drugs, anti-inflammatory tamoxifen and colchicine are also used. Additionally, topical preparations can be used. The most effective (approximately 50% of patients improve) are hydrocortisone, fortecortin and verapamil. It is also possible to treat with physical therapy: massages, compresses, ultrasound and other methods. If the above measures are not successful - patients are eligible for surgery - it may not be until 12 months after the first symptoms of Peyronie's disease appear and when intercourse becomes difficult. There are three types of procedures in surgical treatment:
- correction using the Nesbit method - it consists in cutting out a fragment of the whitish sheath, it is used when erections are normal and the problem is penis curvature
- complete excision of the lesion with supplementation of the cavity
- penis prosthesis implantation - when it comes to severe erectile dysfunction.