DOCTORS carrying out an X-ray on a man’s pelvis after a fall were shocked to discover his penis was turning to BONE.
The 63-year-old went to hospital after he slipped over in the street and landed on his backside.
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He managed to get up and keep walking but was worried he might have done some damage so took himself to the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York.
Once there the man, who walks with a cane, told medics he hadn’t hit his head but his knee was hurting so docs decided to carry out some tests.
Medics performed an X-ray of his pelvis to check he hadn’t fractured anything but were shocked with the scans, according to an article published in the journal Urology Case Reports.
‘Exceedingly rare’
They discovered that the man had bone cells forming inside his penis – an extremely rare condition known as penile ossification.
It’s often caused by Peyronie’s disease (PD), which causes the penis to become curved when erect.
The man said he had experienced some pain but no other symptoms that would suggest an STI, such as discharge or swelling.
When doctors told the man that the entire penile shaft was turning to bone he got up and left the hospital – seemingly unhappy with the diagnosis.
The patient decided to ignore medical advice to return for a follow up, so there were no further investigations into the cause.
What is Peyronie’s disease?
Some men experience a condition called Peyronie’s disease, which causes the penis to become curved when it is erect.
It can also cause numbness through a build-up of scar tissue, which can block blood flow to the penis and numbness and a loss of size
It is perfectly normal for a penis to have a slight curve when it is standing to attention, but men with Peyronie’s disease will have a prominent curve that causes pain.
Peyronie’s disease can also lead to difficulty have sex and erectile dysfunction.
It mostly affects men over 40, according to the NHS, but it can affect anyone at any age.
His case is only one of less than 40 published case reports of penile ossification.
Georges El Hasbani from the American University of Beirut who co-authored the report described the condition as “exceedingly rare”.
He wrote: “Penile ossification remains a relatively rare condition being mentioned in very few journals, with less than 40 published case reports.”
The team added: “We couldn’t assess the [causes] since our patient decided to leave against medical advice.”
Treatment could involve painkiller, “stretching” or vacuum devices, shockwave therapy or surgery.
According to the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS), urologists believe that Peyronie’s disease affects approximately one in ten men.
For many guys, it occurs naturally but penile injury is a big risk factor.
GP and clinical director of Patient.info, Dr Sarah Jarvis told The Sun: “It’s caused by scar tissue forming along the shaft of the penis.
“It’s usually only visible when your penis is erect but can still be troublesome because it can cause painful erections and make sex difficult.
“It’s rarely due to a serious underlying condition, but it can be treated if it’s causing troublesome symptoms.”
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