Beginnings of the Peyronie’s Disease.

Unfortunately, despite a large amount of research, the causes of Peyronie's disease are still not comprehensively understood. Having said this, there are plenty of ideas that are being researched by medical scientists and of interest to patients as well.

In investigating Peyronie’s, the most important question is what actually causes the erect penis to bend? In order to answer this question, the place to look first is the actual way in which the erection is caused. Essentially, the two main chambers in the penis, the corpora cavernosa, which are large balloon like structures must be filled with blood.

The Copora are surrounded by a thicker connective tissue called the tunica albuginea, which becomes rigid when it is fully stretched. At first the tunica albuginea is elastic, but as it becomes taut it becomes a very rigid tissue that determines the shape of the erect penis.

Peyronie's disease is a disorder that primarily affects the tunica albuginea. In the condition, plaques are formed within the tissue, and these interfere with the ability of the tissue to expand normally. These plaques start off as areas of inflammation in the tissue before developing into permanent scars later on in the condition. The plaques prevent the corpora cavernosa from inflating normally, and this distorts the ability of the penis to become straight and erect. The best analogy for these plaques to a layman is the image of a piece of tape on a balloon that causes an uneven inflation.

The cause of Peyronie’s is the million dollar question, and the area that needs to be investigated is what actually produces these plaques. Whether they are the painful swollen tissue at the beginning of the condition or the hard scars that develop later on, these inelastic structures on the tunica albuginea are the heart of Peyronie’s disease.

Chemical and microscopic analysis of these plaques has shown that plaques form at different times in the healing process, whether early or late. It appears as though the main factor in causing Peyronie's disease is a malfunction in the normal healing process that causes inappropriate growth of the scar tissue.

In some cases, the wound healing is not correct. One of the few fully understood causes of Peyronie's disease is a trauma or bruising to the erect penis. From severe bending through to an actual rupture of the corpora cavernosa, any painful event that causes an immediate loss of erection can be a starting point, however this only represents a small number of cases, and most sufferers of Peyronies do not experience such an event.

Most if not all men will experience some degree of wear and tear on the erectile mechanisms within the penis at some point in their lives. There are a lot of different tensions at play in the penis, and as men get older the elasticity of the tissue within the penis declines, and the ability to heal reduces. This normally occurs in the mid fifties. The average age at which Peyronie’s begins to manifest itself in men is fifty-five.

In most cases of the disease, plaques appear along the top edge of the penis. The area between the paired corpora, along the top of the beam of the penis is the most vulnerable part of the organ when it comes to the stress-induced delamination . In men with Peyronie’s disease, this area is where the protein involved in the healing of wounds – fibrin – is found.

Post mortem investigations of men have shown that at a microscopic level, the changes in the tissue that are related to Peyronie’s disease are found in a large number of men – although they only develop into full plaques in a very small number of cases. The question about Peyronie’s that most interests science is what factor causes the healing of regular wear and tear to get out of control and form major scarring?

There are a number of groups that are related. Peyronies is more common in diabetics and in men who suffer from gout. These conditions, along with Dupuytren’s contracture are all conditions that are related to the way in which connective tissue heals and this fact may be the main step in understanding and ultimately curing the disease.