These scars can be easily palpated as a lump and tend to be tender for a few months during the initial phase of the disease.
Peyronie's Disease plaques cause loss of elasticity of the tunica of the penis and this reduces the capacity of the penis to stretch during erections. Patients therefore frequently report penile shortening and deformity such as curvature and narrowing of the shaft penis, which become visible during erections. In flaccidity the lumps can sill be palpated, but the deformity is not visible.
Peyronie's disease is frequently associated with other known cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity and tobacco smoke. It is now established that more than 60% of patients have at least one known cardiovascular risk factor.
Worsening of the quality of the erections is quite common in patients with Peyronie's Disease; although this can be potentially caused by the plaque itself, as it allows the blood to be rushed out of the tunica of the penis, certainly also the cardiovascular risk factors play a role by causing obstruction to the arteries feeding the penis, thus reducing the blood inflow into this organ.
Since Peyronie's Disease can be associated with penile pain, shortening, deformity and worsening of the quality of the erection, it can be cause of severe distress in both the patient and the partner.
Our Uro-Andrology department is led by Mr. Giulio Garaffa, an award-winning Consultant Uro-Andrologist with over 20 years’ international medical experience in this field. Mr Garaffa has a global reputation for his excellence in urology and andrology, and is one of the leading experts in the fields of erectile dysfunction, congenital penile curvature, complex penile reconstruction, phalloplasty, Peyronie’s disease, male infertility and microsurgery.
