A man who went to hospital with knee pain was in for a shock, after an examination revealed an unrelated and very rare diagnosis.
Following an x-ray of his pelvis, the 63-year-old man, who remains unnamed, discovered that his penis was turning to bone.
This phenomenon, known as penile ossification, causes calcium salts to build up in the soft tissue of the penis, causing the entire penis to harden.
The case, which is detailed in Urology Case Reports , explains that the man visited the hospital after falling on his knee, and experiencing pain.
Strangely, he also complained of pain in his penis, leading to doctors performing an x-ray of his pelvis.
The case explains: “A pelvic x-ray performed to rule out any fracture showed a severe, asymmetric degenerative changes of the right hip.
“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.”
Penile ossification is incredibly rare, with just 40 known cases.
While the condition can be treated in various ways, the man decided against treatment and instead decided to leave the hospital.
The case report added: “Those with a bothersome acute pain or chronic mild pain may be managed with oral analgesics, topical agents, intralesional injections, mechanical stretching or vacuum devices, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy.
“Severe cases of chronic pain or ED are usually managed surgically although multiple variations exist.”
