Peyronie's disease is an uncommon sexual dysfunction that results in a bent penis during erection. The disease is characterized by a hard, fibrous layer of scar tissue (plaque) that usually develops under the skin on the upper or lower side of the penis. When the penis is erect, the scar tissue pulls the affected area off at an angle, causing a curved penis. The plaque, formed by thickened layers of erectile tissue, is noncancerous (benign).

Francois de la Peyronie, a French surgeon, first described Peyronie's disease in 1743. Because Peyronie's disease involves deformity of an erect penis and may impair sexual intercourse, doctors have historically classified the condition as a form of impotence, currently described as erectile dysfunction (ED). Although Peyronie's disease can involve ED, doctors now recognize ED as only one factor that may or may not be associated with the disorder.

Peyronie's disease affects about 1 percent of men. It occurs most often in men between the ages of 40 and 60, but the disease may also affect younger and older men. Sometimes the condition improves without treatment, so your doctor may initially recommend a wait-and-see approach. Nonsurgical and surgical treatments are other options.

• Impotence

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of Peyronie's disease may appear overnight or develop more slowly. These may include:

• Painful erection

• A bend or curve in your penis during erection

• Inflammation under the skin of your penis that develops into hardened scar tissue

• A thick band of hard tissue on one or more sides of your penis

• Narrowing of the diameter of your penis during erection

• Impaired ability to obtain an erection (erectile dysfunction)

Scar tissue that develops on the top of the penis will cause the penis to bend upward. Plaque on the underside of the penis will cause it to bend downward. More rarely, hardening may occur on both sides of the penis, causing indentation and shortening.

In many cases, pain caused by Peyronie's disease may decrease after a short period of time. However, the curvature may persist even if the pain subsides. In a small percentage of men with a milder form of the disease, inflammation may improve without causing a lot of pain or permanent bending.

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