Symptoms of peyronie’s disease
Peyronie’s disease can cause pain and discomfort for the men who suffer with it, as well as more mental health related conditions such as anxiety from worrying about it, and having a general knock on your self-confidence. And in extreme cases, the bend in the penis associated with Peyronie’s disease can prevent the sufferer from enjoying sex, as it can cause painful erections. Other symptoms of the disease may include erectile dysfunction and loss of girth and length. 5% of men are affected by Peyronie’s disease, and the condition can become chronic over time if not treated.
It’s important to note that not all penile bends and curves will be caused by Peyronie’s disease. If the bend or curve is only slight, and does not cause any pain or discomfort, it’s more than likely just a penile curvature within the normal range and is actually quite common. If you’re concerned in any way about a bend in your penis, it’s important to get it checked out by your GP.
Non-surgical treatment of peyronie's disease
Mechanical traction treatment with Jes Extender®
INTRODUCTION: The traction force applied upon the tissues results in an adaptation reaction at a structural level, due to the suppression of an inhibitor factor related with cellular division, which thereby results in cellular duplication and therefore, the expansion of the tissues. This principle has successfully been applied for quite some time for different medical purposes, among which the treatment of skin lesions, the loss of tissue and post-radiation scars are the most important. The origin of the fibrotic plaque in Peyronie’s disease still remains an unanswered question. The histological studies carried out so far confirm the presence of high concentrations of type-III collagen in the plaque, having been compared with hyperplastic scar tissue and keloids. The “maturation” of the fibrous tissue scars is produced via the translocation of collagen fibres, which takes place secondary to the traction forces that the fibroblasts oppose to the cellular contraction forces. The higher the concentration of type-III collagen in the fibrotic tissue, the stronger the contraction force is. The continuous mechanical traction on the penis in Peyronie’s disease stimulates cellular division and, therefore, the expansion of the healthy tissues and finally exerts an opposing force to the contraction force of the collagen.
POPULATION AND METHODS: A prospective study has been performed in 26 males who had been diagnosed as having Peyronie’s disease and were treated during a 6 month-period with the mechanical traction device, Jes Extender®, exerting a pressure in the range of 1,200 and 1,500 g. The mean age was 50.8 (30 – 68) years old and the mean evolution time of the disease was 25.6 (2 – 72) months. Multiple fibrotic plaques were identified in 6 cases and just one in 19 patients. The long axis of the plaque was equal to or less than 3 cm in 20 cases; 11 patients referred sensorial disturbances of the penis and 21 presented with erectile dysfunction.
OUTCOMES: Mean values of the assessed parameters before the enrollment, and at 3 and 6 months after treatment was performed are expressed in Table I.