Around the age of 50, Peyronie’s disease can cause an often painful curvature of the penis and make sexual intercourse difficult or impossible.
For decades, patients consulting a urologist because they suffered from a more or less painful curvature of the penis had no other option but to wait. But since the arrival of the new drug called Xiapex, the situation has changed. “No therapeutic progress had been recorded in the last thirty years in the treatment of this affection. The existence of Xiapex should lead patients to consult early and doctors to offer treatment more quickly”, indicates theFrench association of urology (AFU).
Peyronie’s disease is caused by the fibrous infiltration of the albuginea which covers the corpora cavernosa. This infiltration causes an often painful curvature of the penis and makes it difficult or impossible to intercourse.
Two phases
The disease has two phases. The inflammatory phase (6-8 months) is characterized by the appearance of the deformity, possibly associated with a pain. During the after-effects phase (6-12 months), the deformity of the penis stabilizes and the pain disappears. There may be a concomitant decrease in the rigidity of the penis.
For a long time, urologists did not have really effective methods to slow down the first inflammatory phase. The various molecules used obtained modest, purely symptomatic results. Since December 2015, Xiapex has destroyed certain collagen fibers, which reduces fibrosis, and therefore improves the deformation of the penis. The treatment allows to gain 20 to 30C ° of curvature.
“This is a game-changer. For more than thirty years, there had been no real progress in treating this disease”, rejoices Dr. Antoine Faix, urologist and head of the Committee of Andrology and Sexual Medicine of the AFU. “The existence of this treatment should lead patients to consult more quickly when they are suffering fromerections painful and lead doctors to offer immediate treatment, “he continues.
Around 50 years old
Peyronie’s disease occurs in the majority of cases around the age of 50, so in men who are still young and sexually active. If the origin of the disease is unknown, certain situations are favorable: diabetes, sexually traumatic relationships, or even conditions such as Dupuytren’s disease or Ledderhose’s disease.
3% of men will one day suffer from this disease. In most cases, it is little evolved and the deformation minor. On the other hand, 10% of affected patients will have a deformity of the penis seriously impacting their sex life, and 20 to 40% of them will develop a depressive syndrome reaction. In 90 to 95% of patients, the disease spontaneously stops progressing at the end of the inflammatory phase. But at this stage, the penis has undergone definitive deformations that only the surgery can correct.
“Do not sit idly by in front of Peyronie’s disease and think that there is nothing we can do about it. Consult! We still see too often patients who have been affected for two or three years. They come to us too late, we cannot more curb the deformation of their penis, while they could have benefited from earlier treatment, especially with the Xiapex “, warns Antoine Faix. The treatment is injected directly into the forming plaque where it will dissolve the collagen fibers. One to 8 injections are given depending on the severity of the disease. The only drawback is that they are not reimbursed by social security.
.
