La Peyronie's disease: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Sexuality is an important part of our being, forming part of our socio-affective development and of our identity and assuming one of the most powerful and habitual sources of physical gratification.

In the sexual act, a great variety of organs and parts of our body come into play, being among them (and even often being the only ones considered relevant) the genitals.

This part of the body, as with the rest, can suffer different alterations that make it difficult to function. An example of them in the case of men is Peyronie's disease. (or 'Peyronie's disease'), an alteration capable of generating great pain and making it impossible to have sexual intercourse with penile penetration. It is about this disease that we are going to talk throughout this article.

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What is Peyronie's disease?

Peyronie's disease, also called plastic induration of the penis (or in a popular way "the cock/crooked penis disease"), It is a medical condition or problem in which the penis deviates or curves due to the appearance of a fibrous band or plaque in the corpora cavernosa.

. This band of fibrous tissue, benign and non-cancerous, can be understood as scar tissue whose hardening prevents the penis from extending normally during erection.

The curvature of the member usually causes a deviated and abnormal erection that can be painful for the subject and that It can also make it impossible to maintain penetrative sexual relations, something that implies a dysfunction sexual. The pain can appear during the erection or even without the need for it, and it is common that with the over time the generated curvature increases with time until it reaches a phase of stabilization.

It is important to take into account that there are penile morphologies that tend to curvature without thereby having to present this disease and without that presents inconvenience to its owners, being the most defining of Peyronie's disease the fibrous band and the extreme curvature of the penis.

symptoms and consequences

In some cases Peyronie's disease can lead to erectile dysfunction (in fact it is one of its possible primary causes of biological origin), and there is a loss of blood flow to the glans due to the strangulation caused by the fibrous tissue. Sometimes a shortening or narrowing of the penis also occurs, especially due to the curvature.

This disease usually appears in Caucasian males between 40 and 50 years of age., not being frequent before that (although there are cases). It is an alteration that is more frequent than it seems Other types of population, such as those of African and Asian origin, barely register cases.

The set of alterations caused by Peyronie's disease can lead to significant psychological affectation: pain and dysfunction is sexual intercourse can lead to anxiety and avoidance of affective and sexual contact, anguish, feelings of loss of worth, agitation, and even depression.

Causes of this disease

Causes of Peyronie's disease They are not fully identified, and it is generally accepted that this alteration has a multifactorial origin..

However, one of the most common causes of this disorder is the provocation of micro-lesions on the penis (for example, a blow or the product of rough sexual intercourse) that sporadically or throughout life end up causing the appearance of scar tissue on the bodies cavernous

Cases linked to prior penile surgery, or subsequent to prostate cancer treatments, have also been observed. Age, the presence of a family history (something that may indicate a genetic predisposition), or previous tissue problems/disorders conjunctive. The diabetes, hypertension or smoking can also influence and facilitate this disorder by affecting the resistance and flexibility of the blood vessels, which can degenerate into bruises that, when closed, lead to the creation of tissue cicatricial.

Treatment

Although there are some cases in which a spontaneous remission occurs, these are very few. In most cases, Peyronie's disease requires some type of medical or pharmacological intervention., which is usually aimed at reducing the curvature of the penis and restoring its functionality, in such a way that it does not generate pain and allows for penetrative relationships.

Among the different existing alternatives, one of them is surgery. In this sense, it may be necessary to completely resection the fibrous tissue or to make cuts in the plate, with collagen-fibrinogen-thrombin graft to fill the lesion and help to recover the functionality of the member. These types of procedures have been shown to be highly effective, although they can have unwanted effects such as shortening of the penis.

Another option is the application of shock waves that weaken the plaque and promote recovery of the injured area. Drugs such as colchicine, vitamin E, tamoxifen, or potassium paraeminobenzoate are also used, although their efficacy is limited.

It should also be noted that psychological assistance may be required, especially when there are feelings of inadequacy or the presence of anxious or depressive symptoms. In some cases it may also be required couple therapy.

Bibliographic references:

• Cortés-González, J. R. and Glina, S. (2010). Conservative treatment of Peyronie's disease: colchicine versus colchicine plus vitamin E. Spanish Urological Acts, 34 (5)

• Hauck, E. W. and Weiner, W. (2001). François de la Peyronie and the disease named after him. The Lancet, Vol. 357.