Scarring causes areas of the penis to become less flexible.
During an erection, the penis curves towards the area that can’t stretch.
Depending on the location of the scarring, the penis may also lose length.
Illustration by Tara Anand for Verywell Health
Common Causes
Peyronie’s disease is first and foremost a wound-healing disorder.
Its symptoms are the result of fibrous plaques, or scars, forming in the tunica albuginea.
The tunica albuginea is the tissue that surrounds the erectile bodies of the penis.
It can happen in men of any age, but it is more common in older men.
The condition is usually the result of injury to the penis.
More often, the injuries that lead to Peyronie’s are small, or even unnoticeable.
Most, if not all, men experience some microtrauma during penetrative intercourse.
However, only some men develop Peyronie’s disease.
This is likely because Peyronie’s disease occurs in men where healing is impaired.
Erectile dysfunction is often a consequence of Peyronie’s disease, but it may also be a cause.
Having sex with a penis that is not fully erect may predispose the penis to microtrauma.
This may also explain why the incidence of Peyronie’s disease increases with age.
As people have more difficulty getting a firm erection, they experience more sub-acute injuries they need to heal.
So is the use of certain cardiovascular drugs, such as beta-blockers.
Scarring compounded with poor blood flow contributes to the symptoms of Peyronie’s.
Improved blood flow is thought to help healing.
This is why Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs may be useful for Peyronie’s patients.
Lifestyle Risk Factors
There are a number of lifestyle risk factors for Peyronie’s disease.
Basically, these can be divided into two groups.
The first group are risk factors that affect healing.
These include:
The other group of risk factors are those that affect the likelihood of penile trauma.
you could maintain a healthy body, but inflammation and penile injury are not necessarily things you could control.
Fortunately, Peyronie’s disease is often a relatively minor condition.
Many individuals affected by it do not need any treatment.
There is a range of treatments available for those who do.
If it is Peyronie’s disease, sometimes early treatment can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes.
For 13 out of every 100 people with Peyronie’s disease, the penis returns to normal withoutmedical intervention.
This is most likely to occur when the plaques in thepenisare small and the curvature is mild.
Untreated Peyronie’s disease can lead to a number of complications.
PTT involves a gear that gently straightens a curved penis.
Urology Care Foundation.What is Peyronie’s disease?
2002;14(5):361-374. doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3900873
