Bent penis usually means Peyronie’s disease later in life

A curved penis can be normal for some men, or it can indicate the presence of a problem for other men.  Just because the penis is curved does not necessarily mean there is a problem.

For the most part, the fact that penile curvature exists at all in a man does not indicate a true abnormality or reason for concern; an abnormality is more so suggested if there is a change in the appearance and structure of the penis if it was previously straighter than it is now and only later became curved.

If a diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease has already been made to explain the bent penis you are asking about, you should consider using Alternative Medicine treatment to assist and support the body’s natural ability to heal and repair the Peyronie’s plaque that causes the curved penis and the various signs and symptoms that are a result.  Click here to find a good place to start learning about non-surgical and non-drug Peyronie’s treatment.

When did the bent penis begin?

Usually the answer to the question, “When did the curved or bent penis begin?” will usually indicate if there is an actual problem to justify concern.

If your husband’s penis has been curved since childhood, or for as long as he can remember, then there is a very good chance that he has a normal variation of the shape of his penis.  This is called a normal penis curvature and is often simply due to a variation of the size of the internal chambers that make up the body of the penis.   In a congenital curve of the penis there is usually no pain associated with erection or intercourse.

Also, in regard to when the penis curvature occurred, it is not uncommon for Peyronie’s disease to develop after certain medical procedures or treatments:

1. Use of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra (PDE5 inhibitor drugs) that have been known to cause damage to the internal tissue of the penis when an exaggerated or excessive erection occurs.  For some men this can happen after just one use of these drugs, or for other men after multiple uses that previously did not cause any unusual reaction.
2. Use of beta-blocker heart medications that are used for chest pain and arrhythmia to name a few.  There are many beta-blockers used, but a few of the more popular are Lopressor LA, Sectral and Tenormin
3. Use of some cholesterol lowering drugs (statin drug group) that have a long list of known side effects, but recently have been expanded to include Peyronie’s disease.  There are statin drugs in this category, but a few of the more popular are Crestor, Lipitor, Lisinopril and Lovastatin
4. Having been catheterized as part of surgical procedure, especially when done while under anesthesia while in a hospital setting.  Many times greater force is used to pass the catheter tube through the urethra due to time constraints and urgency, resulting trauma to the penile tissue.

If your husband’s penis curvature started recently or sometime after his teen years when it had been previously straight, then this suggests a problem for which he should make an appointment with a urologist for an examination and diagnosis.  The most common cause of a curved penis that appears after it was previously straight, by far, is Peyronie’s disease.  Other less common causes can be:

1. Trauma to the penis that causes simple swelling
2. Trauma that causes penile fracture
3. Penile cancer, although very rare

Diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease and the curved penis 

Typically, in cases of an adult onset curved penis, there are three primary findings that usually have to be met in order to establish a diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease:

1.    Presence of one or more nodules or areas of hardness located under the skin of the shaft.  These localized nodules are not seen on the surface, but a felt by digital examination below the skin; some can be so large that the surface of the skin is elevated from below by the nodule.

2.    Pain, from mild to severe, from occasional to constant, in some area of the penis while erect.  A small percentage of men experience penile pain while flaccid (non-erect), and an even smaller percentage experience pain during both states.

3.    Recent development of curved or bent penis, or some other similar distortion of the penis (bottleneck, hourglass, or indentation). 

A diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease can still be made without one of the above findings, if the other two are dominant and reliable.  Other findings of slightly less frequency and less importance seen during Peyronie’s disease, that are of some value in making a diagnosis  are:

1. Loss of penis size in terms length and circumference (girth or diameter).
2. Reduced erectile ability in either the entire shaft or a localized area of it.

The important thing is to not ignore the penile curvature and to do whatever you can to avoid Peyronie’s surgery whenever possible since the side effects can be devastating.