Man visits hospital and discovers his penis is turning to bone

He had gone to hospital following a fall

The incident occurred in 2019 when the 63-year-old went into New York City hospital expecting to be given a medical check after experiencing pain in his left knee.

He had suffered a fall onto the pavement while walking with his cane but said he had not hit his head or experienced any loss of consciousness.

Doctors suspected he may have a fracture in the hip area which may have been causing the pain and conducted an x-ray.

However, they were surprised by what they found when looking at the x-ray as it turned out the man was suffering a rare condition called penile ossification.

The doctors said that his penis was becoming an ‘extra skeletal bone’.

A medical expert described it as ‘an extensive, plaque-like calcification along the expected distribution of the penis’.

According to the Urology case report, there have been less than 40 cases recorded in medical history.

The patient had no other symptoms such as discharge or swelling which is typically associated with the condition.

Medical and surgical treatment options do exist depending on the extent of ossification and symptoms however, on this occasion, the man left the hospital against the advice of the doctors.

Asymptomatic patients are not usually given treatment and instead are told to monitor how they are doing.

According to Science Alert, the most common cause for the condition is Peyronie’s disease, where fibrous scar tissue forms within the penis.

This in turn can lead to erectile dysfunction and penile pain.

Trauma, late-stage kidney disease and other conditions that cause a calcium build-up in your body can also cause penile ossification.