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The most common area for the plaque is on the top or
bottom of the penis.
As the plaque builds up, the penis will curve or bend,
which can cause painful erections. The change in shape
is usually only obvious when the penis is erect and can
make sexual intercourse painful, difficult, or impossible.
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What is Peyronie’s disease?
Peyronie’s disease is a condition in which scar tissue, called a plaque, forms in the
penis. The plaque builds up inside the tissues of a thick, elastic membrane called the
tunica albuginea.
The plaque seen in Peyronie’s disease is benign,
noncancerous, and not contagious or caused by any
known transmittable disease.
The disease was named after the French surgeon François
Gigot de la Peyronie who described it in 1743
Usually men with Peyronie’s disease are referred to a
urologist—a doctor who specializes in sexual and urinary
problems.