Joshua Nair
Back in 2019, a man went to the doctors after a nasty fall, only to find out that his penis was becoming a bone.
The 63-year-old-man went into New York City hospital expecting to be given a medical check, after experiencing some pain in his left knee, following a fall onto the pavement walking with his cane.
Denying that he suffered a head injury or any loss of consciousness, he said that he could get up with some help, but started feeling discomfort in his knee before showing up at the Emergency Room.
In the first x-ray, doctors were searching for fractures in the patient's hip area, which may be causing him pain in his left knee.
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However, they found something a lot more unexpected and far more bizarre than they would have hoped for.
It turned out that the man, who had a past medical history of alcoholism, was suffering from an 'exceedingly rare' condition called penile ossification.
As described by doctors in their report, his penis was becoming an 'extraskeletal bone', an alarming diagnosis which meant that a bone-like calcification was building up in his penis.
The medical expert describe it as an 'extensive, plaque-like calcification along the expected distribution of the penis', as calcium salts built up in the soft tissue along the shaft of his manhood, which was clearly seen in x-rays.
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There have been less than 40 cases recorded in medical history and as per the Urology Case Report. The patient didn't show any other symptoms typical of the condition, such as discharge or swelling.
But after the diagnosis, no further examinations were carried out and he decided to leave the hospital against the advice given, while medical experts did not administer any treatment.
It is detailed in the case report that 'medical and surgical treatment options exist depending on the extent of ossification and symptoms.'
The treatment of the condition also depends on the extent of it and symptoms displayed by the patient, as asymptomatic patients are usually not given a treatment and are told to monitor how they're doing.
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Pains in the penile area can be treated with oral analgesics, topical agents, intralesional injections, mechanical stretching or vacuum devices, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy.
More serious pain or erectile dysfunction (ED) caused can be treated with surgery by inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP), specifically for cases of ED.
According to Science Alert, the most common cause for penile ossification is Peyronie's disease, where fibrous scar tissue forms within the penis.
Other things that can cause it are trauma, late stage kidney disease and other conditions that cause a calcium build-up in your body.