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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
The cause of Peyronie's disease isn't well understood, but it's generally considered the result of a wound that doesn't heal properly. The wound is most likely minor trauma to the penis during sexual activity. For example, the erect penis might be bent during sexual intercourse. A wound could also be the result of an accident or sports injury.
The role of wound healing
The penis contains two sponge-like, tube-shaped chambers (corpus cavernosa) with many tiny blood vessels. When a male becomes sexually aroused, nerve impulses increase blood flow to these chambers. An erection occurs when these chambers fill with blood, causing the penis to expand, straighten and stiffen.
The corpus cavernosa are encased in a sheath of elastic tissue called the tunica albuginea, which stretches during an erection. Injury to the penis can damage this elastic tissue. This damage can cause inflammation and damaged tissue. If an injury heals properly, there are generally no long-term problems.
In Peyronie's disease, problems in the normal wound-healing process result in permanent scar tissue. The section of the sheath with scar tissue is no longer flexible. Therefore, when the penis becomes erect, the region with the scar tissue doesn't stretch, and the penis bends or becomes disfigured.
- Peyronie's disease. American Urological Association Foundation. http://urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=11&topic=50. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Briganti A, et al. Peyronie's disease: A review. Current Opinion in Urology. 2003;13:417.
- Taylor FL, et al. Peyronie's Disease. Urological Clinics of North America. 2007;34:517.
- Sommer F, et al. Epidemiology of Peyronie's disease. International Journal of Impotence Research. 2002;14:379.
- Trost LW, et al. Pharmacological management of Peyronie's disease. Drugs. 2007;67:527.
