A 63-year-old man seeking relief for knee pain received an unexpected and rare diagnosis after an emergency room visit. The patient, who had fallen and hit his lower abdomen on the pavement, initially reported knee pain but also mentioned penile soreness during his examination.
Doctors, concerned about potential fractures, decided to X-ray the man’s pelvis. To their surprise, the X-ray revealed something unusual: the man’s penis displayed signs of “ossification,” indicating that bone had developed within the penile tissue. This rare condition, known as penile ossification, was confirmed by the medical team, as reported in the September issue of Urology Case Reports.
Due to the man’s reported pain and the rarity of penile ossification, the doctors speculated that he might be suffering from Peyronie’s disease, a condition characterized by fibrotic plaque causing penile deformity and sometimes pain. Other potential causes of penile ossification could include metabolic disorders, end-stage kidney disease, or trauma.
The patient chose to leave the hospital against medical advice, which prevented the completion of necessary tests to further investigate the cause of his condition. According to the report, penile ossification is a rarely discussed condition, with fewer than 40 documented cases in medical literature.
