What is Peyronie's disease?

Peyronie's disease is a build-up of scar tissue (plaque) in the elastic covering of the penis. The plaque does not stretch with the rest of the tissue during an erection, so the penis bends, narrows or shortens. It affects roughly 1 in 10 men, most often between 40 and 70, and frequently comes with pain early on and erectile dysfunction later. It is not cancer and it is not caused by anything you did.

The condition has two phases. In the active phase (usually the first 6–18 months) the curve is still changing and there may be pain. In the stable phase the curve has stopped changing. Treatment depends on the phase, the degree of curvature and how well your erections work.

Treatment options

Observation and traction. Mild curves that do not interfere with sex may need no treatment. Traction devices can help preserve length during the active phase.
Collagenase injections (Xiaflex®). A series of injections into the plaque, combined with modeling exercises, breaks down scar tissue and can reduce the curve by about a third on average.
Penile plication. For men with good erections and a stable curve, Dr. Uhr places small permanent sutures on the side opposite the plaque to straighten the penis. It is an outpatient operation with reliable, immediate straightening and a low risk of affecting erections; a small loss of length is expected.
Plaque incision or excision with grafting. For severe curves or hourglass narrowing when erections are strong.
Penile implant with straightening. When Peyronie's disease and erectile dysfunction occur together, an inflatable penile implant corrects both at once — see erectile dysfunction treatment.