Peyronie’s Disease: Underdiagnosed and Untreated

The development of a bent erection, usually for no obvious reason, causes real concern to men who develop Peyronie’s disease (PD), and there is reluctance to talk about it.

François Gigot de La Peyronie first described the condition in 1743, but we still do not understand it fully and it has proven resistant to ‘cure’.

None of our current treatments are able to return the penis to its predisease state, but there is much that treatment can do to improve the patient’s situation.

Aetiology and clinical presentation.

Up to 9% of men will have evidence of PD, although the number of men presenting with symptoms is far fewer.

Peak incidence is in the age range 55 to 60 years. Patients most commonly present with penile curvature, or report feeling a mass in the penis, which is the other common symptom. Painful erection is reported by more than half of patients. A history of a remembered penile trauma is reported by about 10% of patients with PD.

It should be noted that this disease can have a variable onset, and this variability and unpredictability are features of the condition.

PD is known to be associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), and about 30% of patients with PD have diabetes.

Read more publications by Dr Love