Peyronie’s Disease
Curvature of the penis / The bending of the penis down, up or to the side during an erection that should normally be straight.
What causes penile curvature?
Penile curvatures may be congenital (penile curvature) or later in adulthood (Peyronie’s disease).
Congenital Penile Curvature (Penile Curvature)
The cause of penile curvature is not yet known, but there are some theories put forward. In the structure of the penis; There are two spongy tissues (corpus cavernosum) containing blood vessels that provide erection, and a spongy tissue (corpus spongiosum) in which the urinary tract (urethra) is located. When there is growth retardation or disproportionate growth in one of these spongy structures from birth, the penis bends towards the underdeveloped side during erection. Mostly, this curvature is downward, but it can be sideways and rarely upwards.
Adult Penile Curvature (Peyronie’s Disease)
Peyronie’s disease, named after the French surgeon who first described the disease; It can cause deformity in the penis, usually after the age of 50, with calcification (fibrosis) in the outer sheath (tunica albuginea) surrounding the spongy tissues of the penis that provide and contribute to erection.
How often is congenital penile curvature (penile curvature) seen?
To date, there are no cohort studies describing the incidence and/or prevalence of penile curvature in the general population. Its global incidence is estimated to be about 37 per 100,000.
What are the risk factors for congenital penile curvature (Penile curvature)?
Congenital anomalies of the genital organs usually tend to coexist. The frequency of co-occurrence of penile curvature and conditions where the urinary opening is lower than it should be (hypospadias) is higher than normal.
How is congenital penile curvature (penile curvature) diagnosed?
Patients with congenital penile curvature apply to the doctor with complaints of penile curvature during erection, difficulty in sexual intercourse or visual aesthetic anxiety. The diagnosis is made by photographing the curvature during erection or by providing an erection after injection into the penis.
How is congenital penile curvature (penile curvature) treated?
There is no additional dysfunction requiring treatment in congenital penile curvature cases. In the presence of more than 30 degrees of curvature that makes sexual intercourse difficult or in patients who apply with personal aesthetic concerns, surgical treatments are applied as the only option. Penile length is usually longer than normal in patients presenting with penile curvature.
For this reason, penile shortening techniques (Nespit, plication surgeries) are mostly applied to the opposite side of the underdeveloped side (in the direction of curvature) with an 85% success rate in experienced hands. After surgical treatment, patients usually stay in the hospital for one day, are called for wound healing after 7-10 days, and can have sexual intercourse after six weeks. However, after surgical treatments;
How common is penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease) in adulthood?
Epidemiological data on adult penile curvature are limited. Its global incidence is estimated to be 12%. In the prevalence study conducted by the Turkish Society of Andrology, it was determined that it is seen at a rate of 27% in men between the ages of 50-60 and it is estimated that there are approximately 600,000 patients in Turkey.
What are the risk factors for adult penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease)?
Causes such as diabetes (Diabetes mellitus), hypertension, lipid anomalies, heart disease (ischemic cardiopathy), erectile dysfunction (erectile dysfunction), smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, some genetic diseases (Dupuytren’s contracture, Lederhause disease) and previous prostate surgery can cause penile curvature. It is possible. are risk factors that cause it to be more common in men.
How is adult penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease) treated?
Among the treatment options in adult patients with penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease); There are three main approaches: careful monitoring, drug therapy, and surgical treatment. The most important point in treatment is the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Because the stage of the disease affects the medical treatment or the timing of a possible surgery.
