Changes in sexual health may be stressful, particularly when problems influence physical comfort and intimacy. Peyronie’s disease is a benign disorder that causes the formation of fibrous scar tissue in the penis, which results in a prominent, sometimes painful penile curvature. This occurs far more frequently than most men realise, yet the diagnosis and treatment are sometimes delayed due to shame or hesitancy.

Knowing the reasons, recognising the early signs, and investigating current medical treatments provide men the ability to control their health. Urological Consultation Our urological consultation is conveniently available for people looking for skilled medical treatment around Abu Dhabi including residential neighbourhoods such as Baniyas, Shamkha and Shakhbout City. Royal Medical Center One Day Surgery We are located in Shakhbout City providing private and compassionate service to successfully manage and treat men’s health difficulties.

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease is characterised by the growth of a flat, hard scar tissue, called a penile plaque, under the skin of the penis. Such tissue usually grows within the tunica albuginea , the elastic covering of the erectile chambers of the organ .

When a guy gets an erection, blood fills these stretchy chambers. But this part, this part with the hardened scar tissue, cannot expand. The healthy tissue around it fills with blood and swells . The inelastic plaque pushes the organ toward the side of the scar , causing a bent penis during erections .

Symptoms of Peyronie's disease

The symptoms of Peyronie’s disease might come on abruptly or build over a period of many months. Peyronie’s illness has the following key symptoms:

• Significant Penile Curvature: During erection, the shaft may bend up, down, or to one side. In certain circumstances the plaque forms an “hourglass” constriction or indentation along the shaft.
• Hard Plaque Formation: Hard bands of scar tissue felt beneath the skin of the penis, which may be felt.
• Painful Sensations during Erections: often seen in the early, active stages of the disorder.
• Erectile Dysfunction ( ED ): Difficulty in attaining or maintaining a rigid erection, frequently caused by altered blood flow or mental distress stemming from the curvature.
• Shortening of the Penis: Scar tissue may promote tissue contraction, resulting in loss of length of the shaft.

What Causes Peyronie's Disease?

Though the exact aetiology is not entirely known, medical professionals concur that the causes of Peyronie’s disease are often a result of a mix of micro-trauma, aberrant wound healing, and hereditary factors:

• Repeated Micro Injuries: The main cause is thought to be repetitive microtrauma to the internal tissue during strenuous sexual activity, sports injuries or trauma. As the body repairs these microscopic internal injuries, instead of elastic, healthy tissue, aberrant fibrous tissue might build up.
• Genetic Factors: There is evidence that the illness may be hereditary. Men who have close family members with Peyronie’s disease have a greater statistical chance of developing the condition.
• Connective tissue disorders: Diseases that alter the structure of collagen, such as Dupuytren's contracture (a condition in which the fingers flex toward the palm), are often associated with Peyronie's disease.
• Age:While the illness may develop at any age, it is most often diagnosed in males aged 40 to 70. As we get older, tissue elasticity gradually diminishes.

What are the Two Phases of the Disease?

Peyronie's disease usually proceeds in two separate clinical phases:

Active (acute) stage

This period often lasts between 6 and 18 months. This is the moment when plaque is still developing, discomfort with erections is most obvious and the degree of curvature may grow over time.

Chronic (Stabilised) Phase

In the chronic phase there is a lessening of active inflammation, pain usually lessens or disappears altogether and the deformity is stabilised. During this steady phase, medical treatments, especially surgical procedures, are usually scheduled.

How to Get an Accurate Diagnosis of Peyronie’s Disease?

Seeing a specialist in a timely manner is important for Peyronie’s disease to determine the stage and severity of the illness. Accurate diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease includes:

• Physical Examination: The doctor will thoroughly check the organ to feel and estimate the amount of the hardened plaque.The expert may be able to generate an erection temporarily in the clinic with a safe injection, or ask you to bring in high-resolution photographs taken at home, to establish the precise degree of curvature.
• Colour Doppler Ultrasound: An ultrasound scan monitors blood flow within the body, finds calcified scar tissue, and looks for symptoms of underlying vascular erectile dysfunction.

What are the Current Treatment Options for Peyronie’s Disease?

The intervention relies on the degree of curvature, presence or absence of discomfort, and if the problem is still actively advancing. Effective therapy options for Peyronie's disease include:

Drugs and Shots for Peyronie's Disease

• Oral Medications: Anti-inflammatory medications or antioxidants may be indicated during the early acute phase to control discomfort and minimise tissue swelling.
• Intralesional injections: Therapeutic chemicals are injected directly into the plaque to break down built-up collagen, helping lessen curvature without surgery.

Non-invasive mechanical therapeutic modalities

• Traction Therapy: External mechanical traction devices are used to extend the shaft over time, which aids in collagen remodelling and reduces curvature.
• Penile Vacuum Devices :Mechanical vacuum treatment is used to preserve tissue length and increase internal circulation of blood.

Peyronie’s Disease Surgery

Definitive correction is provided by surgery in cases of significant curvature that has been stable for at least six months and which makes pleasant sexual intercourse impossible:

• Plication Procedures: Stitching to the unaffected side of the shaft to straighten it. Good for small curvatures and no shortening concerns.
• Plaque Excision/Incision and Grafting: Removal or release of rigid plaque and filling in with a flexible tissue transplant.
• Penile Prosthesis Implantation: An inflatable implant is placed to straighten the shaft and treat the underlying erectile dysfunction concurrently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can Peyronie’s disease resolve spontaneously without treatment?

A: A small percent of instances ( about 10 % to 15 % ) with mild Peyronie’s disease may spontaneously resolve during the early acute phase. However, for most men, the curvature will stabilise or worsen with time without formal medical intervention.

Q: Is Peyronie’s Disease a kind of cancer?

A: No. The plaques associated with Peyronie’s disease are fully benign (non-cancerous) and non-contagious. They don’t spread to other parts of the body or raise your chance of acquiring prostate or penile cancers.

Q: When to see a specialist for penile curvature?

A: If you develop a new bend, a hard lump under the skin, or discomfort with an erection, you need to see a doctor immediately for a medical assessment. Early in the acute phase non-surgical therapies are best used.

Conclusion

Peyronie’s disease may affect physical comfort and mental confidence, yet it is a very curable illness. Straightness, pain relief and return to sexual health are achievable for men with precise diagnosis, progressive medicinal therapy and current surgical procedures.

If you are worried about penile curvature or pain, get a private appointment at Royal Medical Center One Day Surgery, Shakhbout City, Abu Dhabi. Our skilled medical team offers helpful, discreet and competent treatment to patients in the Baniyas, Shamkha and adjacent villages. Get in touch now to find out more!