What causes peyronie’s disease?

At present, the actual mechanism causing Peyronie’s disease is still unknown. It is suspected that Peyronie’s Disease occurs in the genetically predisposed patient following trauma to the erect penis during sexual activity. It is believed that patients with Peyronie’s Disease present an imbalance in the factors that regulate the healing process following tissue damage and this leads to excessive local tissue proliferation.

Typically Peyronie’s Disease presents an initial acute and a chronic phase. The acute phase is characterized by the formation of the plaque, which is tender at palpation as there is an active local inflammatory process. During this phase, stretching of the plaques, as physiologically occurs during erections, elicits vivid pain. Plaque size and type of deformity tend to change over time during this phase. The chronic phase starts when the inflammatory process eventually settles, usually within 9 months from the onset of the condition. At this stage the pain generally settles and the deformity does not change any more in time. 

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