The symptoms: The patient had knee pain after falling on his buttocks, causing him to seek treatment in the emergency room. During an examination, the man also described pain in his penis.
What happened next: When doctors investigated the potential cause of this pain, they did not find any prostate swelling or see any unusual discharge. They performed pelvic X-rays to look for any fractures. Instead, they discovered bone growth in an unexpected place: the man's penis.
The diagnosis: Doctors diagnosed the patient with penile ossification, in which a bony extraskeletal structure forms inside the penis due to an accumulation of calcium salts in the organ's soft tissues.
The treatment: The patient declined further examination and treatment, according to the physicians' report. Pain from penile ossification is typically managed with topical medicines, injections or oral painkillers. The underlying calcification can be addressed with shock-wave therapy, which uses sonic pulses, or essentially sound waves, to break down bony buildup.
What makes the case unique: Fewer than 40 cases of penile ossification have been documented in the scientific literature. Although the condition is rare, when it does occur, it's often been linked to Peyronie's disease.
This disorder can affect anyone with a penis, although it is most common among those ages 40 to 70. Peyronie's disease inflames connective tissue in the penis, eventually causing a buildup of scar tissue. This may cause erectile dysfunction or lead to painful erections, and depending on where the scar tissue forms, the penis can display a dramatic curve or appear shorter than usual when erect. In some cases, the penis may even develop an hourglass-like shape.
The doctors suspected that Peyronie's disease contributed to the man's condition in this case, but there are other factors that may have led to peculiar bone growth in his penis, such as late-stage kidney disease, metabolic abnormalities, repeated trauma to the penis or chronic inflammation. But because the patient left the hospital against medical advice, no laboratory work was performed. He also didn't arrange any follow-up visits to address his condition, so the trigger for the ossification remains unknown.
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