Peyronie's Disease

History of Peyronie's Disease

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Tunica albuginea (penis)[/caption]Francois de la Peyronie first described Peyronie's disease (also known as Induratio penis plastica) in 1743 while he was the surgeon for Louis XIV of France.Peyronie's disease is a connective tissue disorder affecting the tunica albuginea of the penis (The capsule surrounding the spongy tissues), causing many problems including penile pain, erectile dysfunction, penile deformity, and difficulty in performing coitus.A certain degree of curvature of the penis is considered normal, as many men are born with this benign condition, commonly referred to as congenital curvature. The Peyronie's disease may cause pain, hardened, big, cord-like lesions (scar tissue known as "plaques"), or abnormal curvature of the penis when erect due to chronic inflammation of the tunica albuginea (CITA). Although the popular conception of Peyronie's Disease is that it always involves curvature of the penis, the scar tissue sometimes causes divots or indentations rather than curvature. The condition may also make sexual intercourse painful and/or difficult, though many men report satisfactory intercourse in spite of the disorder.

Causes of Peyronie's Disease

The underlying cause of Peyronie's Disease is not well understood, but is thought to be caused by trauma or injury to the penis usually through sexual activity although many patients often are unaware of any traumatic event or injury.

Treatment of Peyronie's Disease

Medication

Many oral treatments have been studied, but results so far have been mixed. Some consider the use of non-surgical approaches to be "controversial"

Surgery for Peyronie's Disease

Surgery, is considered a last resort and should only be performed by highly skilled urological surgeons knowledgeable in specialized corrective surgical techniques. A penile prosthesis may be appropriate in advanced cases. Peyronie's Disease, you can find more information Dr. James Elist does the repair surgery for here.

Physical therapy and devices

Self-administered manual stretching techniques, as well as a number of devices which exert gentle longitudinal forces on the plaque, are currently being studied in clinical trials. However, these penis extenders are controversial and most doctors recommend staying away from them due to their unknown and potentially harmful side-effects.