I have detected hard rings on my penis which are felt only during an erection. Peyronie’s disease has not been diagnosed. Can I stop any further deterioration since finding this early? What signs should I look for if this is indeed PD?

What you describe may be a variant of Peyronie’s disease, but to make the diagnosis the penis is typically evaluated in the flaccid condition, the glans is pulled out to stretch the penis and then the shaft can be palpated to identify the fibrotic scar tissue known as plaque. If there is no palpable plaque and yet there is deformity, this may be congenital, or it may be that Peyronie’s disease is in the very early phase and has not yet manifested itself with a palpable plaque. I have recently seen a young man who described similar findings, where I could not identify Peyronie’s disease, but he described changes in the penis in the flaccid condition only, but no deformity when erect. I have recommended the use of L-arginine and pentoxifylline. The latter must be prescribed by a physician as early treatment for fibrotic/scarring disorders. This treatment is relatively inexpensive, non-toxic, and may be beneficial. Certainly, should you find a deformity of the penis with a palpable plaque, then further, more aggressive treatment may be indicated.