X-ray Reveals 63-Year-Old Man's Penis Is Turning Into 'Bone'. How?

A 63-year-old man seeking treatment for knee pain was shocked to discover an unexpected diagnosis: “penile ossification”. The unusual condition, where the penis begins to turn into bone, was found during an X-ray examination of his hip. The patient had initially sought medical attention at a New York City hospital after experiencing knee discomfort from a fall on the pavement in 2019. Despite no head injury or loss of consciousness, further tests revealed this rare condition.

First, as per Ladbible, the doctors made a referral to x-ray the hip to rule out a fracture or some other related problem that could be causing knee pain. Instead, they found out that the resultant X-ray scan showed severe calcification in soft tissues of the penis, which according to medical practitioners, is called “extraskeletal bone.”

This observation raised concern as it meant that calcium salts were depositing along the shaft of the penis in a manner resembling a plaque. Such instances are very rare; there have been reported less than 40 cases in the medical literature, as per the Urology Case Report.

Penile ossification is a disease that is attributed to the pathophysiology of the penis in which there is the formation of bone-like tissue in it. It is often linked with many other diseases, such as Peyronie’s disease, trauma and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and end-stage renal disease, as per Science Alert.

One specific condition, Peyronie’s disease, which is characterised by the formation of fibrous scar tissue, can result in a curve and painful erection.

In this case, the man has not presented classical signs of penile ossification, including discharge and swelling, which are usually associated with the condition, Labible reported.

After the diagnosis, the patient reportedly decided to be discharged from the hospital against the advice of the doctor, and he did not agree to any further tests or therapies.

Professional opinion was given indicating that there are differences in treatment about the level of ossification and the occurrence of symptoms. Patients with the asymptomatic form of the condition may only need observation, while patients with pain or erectile dysfunction may benefit from oral pain medications, topical creams, injections or even surgery.

It is important to note the information provided in the article is compiled from various reports, and News18 does not guarantee its accuracy.