Man's penis turning to bone in freak case stumping medical experts
A man whose penis is slowly solidifying unwillingly found himself at the centre of important medical research after he was discovered to be one of just 40 people in the world living with the unfortunate condition.
The 63-year-old unidentified man was admitted to hospital after having a fall, with scans later revealing “extensive, plaque-like calcification” along his entire shaft.
He had initially presented to the emergency department with knee pain and after an examination, was cleared of any serious ailments other than his penis pain, according to a US medical article to be published in full next month.
After a scan on his pelvic region, doctors discovered significant irregularities.
“A pelvic x-ray performed to rule out any fracture showed a severe, asymmetric degenerative changes of the right hip,” a Science Direct article read.
“An extensive, plaque-like calcification along the expected distribution of the penis was evident.
“The diagnosis of penile ossification along the entire penile shaft was suspected.”
The article revealed the patient refused further medical treatment, and left the emergency room against the advice of doctors.
The man, who had a history of alcoholism and walked with a cane, received no further treatment.
The rare condition has been commonly linked to penile deformity, a superficial fibrosing condition of the penis characterised by the presence of a fibrotic plaque.
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