Rare Bone Growth Found In Man's Penis In X-ray For Knee Pain. This Is What Happened Next

The man could walk but had knee pain. He reportedly complained of penile soreness during a medical examination by doctors.

Doctors noticed that the man's penis had "ossification" along its whole shaft. (Image: Unsplash)

Source : Unsplash

A 63-year-old man seeking treatment for knee pain was shocked after finding a rare bone growth in his penis in an X-ray for knee pain in a New York City hospital. The man had visited the hospital after falling on a pavement and hitting his lower abdomen. He could walk, but had knee pain. The man reportedly complained of penile soreness during a medical examination by doctors.

As doctor got an X-ray of his pelvis done to rule out any broken bones, they were surprised to notice that the man's penis had "ossification" along its whole shaft. He was diagnosed with penile ossification, Live Science reported.

Given the man's reported penile pain and the recognised association between the two illnesses, doctors assumed he had Peyronie's disease. 

What Is Penile Ossification

Penile Ossification is a rare condition that occurs most commonly in acquired cases of penile deformity, as per medical experts. Ossification arises from salt buildup in the soft tissues, leading to bone formation in areas of the body where there is connective tissue. It has been reported to occur in other rare locations as well, such as the mammary gland and testicles. 

Penile ossification remains a relatively rare condition being mentioned in very few journals, with less than 40 published case reports. It is commonly linked to Peyronie's disease, a superficial fibrosing condition of the penis characterised by the presence of a fibrotic plaque leading to penile deformity, with or without pain."

What Causes The Rare Condition

Penile ossification is very rare and there are only a few histologically confirmed reported cases. The most common condition leading to penile ossification is Peyronie's disease. Other conditions like gout, end-stage renal disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperparathyroidism and local trauma have also been associated with Penile ossification.

The patient reportedly decided to not continue the treatment against the advice of doctors and got himself discharged from the hospital.