Peyronies "Plaques".. What are they?

[melting]

I want to get into some basics of what we are dealing with inside our penises.
I feel like it's often very ambiguous talked about. A reason for that might be that we deal with different types of faulty tissue. Calcified plaques, soft plaques, scar tissue, fibroids, hardened tissue are some of them

Some of them might be the same in a different stage, like we often hear about calcification with peyronies progressed.
All of them are not the normal tissue that enables us to have a functioning penis. In essence they all prevent the natural erection process:

Arterial blood flows into the penis and fills the "Smooth Muscle" cells which then press the Tunica outward.
When the Tunica is at it's expansion limit it get's hard and occludes the veins that transport the blood away from the penis.
The tunica is a mesh of fibers that consists of a certain % of elastin which enables the fibers to expand.

Plaques, Scars etc. are tissue that is different to the composition of a functioning Tunica. Much less flexibility.
Such a faulty tissue in that area prevents the Tunica from expanding. The result is a bend or an indentation.
It also messes with the vascular system. The veins can't occlude properly if the Tunica can't expand.

When we are clear about what we have in there, it's composition, it's attributes, we can formulate strategies to get rid off it with supplements,chemicals, temperatures and/or by stretching it.

Chime in.

[melting]

I used transdermal applications(via DMSO) to get supplements to my hardened plaques.
The theory is that these hardened plaques are calcified. Calcified means a build up of calcium. The body uses calcium to "patch up" injuries or isolate inflamation.
Well meaning but the hardened nature of it is preventing the flexible penis tissue from expanding.

There are a lot of chemicals who are antagonistic to calcium. So if you put these antagonists ontop of a calcium stone, the stone would dissolve. Harder to accomplish within the body.
Magnesium, ascorbic acid.. are 2 I used transdermaly which softened my hard plaques. Verapamil messes with calcium and is often used as an injection by docs.

Softening the plaques can already enable erections as they have more give then hard plaques. I also seemed to be able to influence the plaques and tissue around them with traction and VED to minimize their impact to the point where I can get good erections. But I still have some small plaques I couldn't totally get rid off.(In my signature link I'm right now again applying various transdermal supplements to get at them and rid for good)

That's kind of a personal intro from me. Please chime in with your knowledge and observations on the nature of the tissue in your case and how it formed, progressed and reacted to various measures.

[melting]

To quote John Hopkins hospital:

The normal tunica albuginea is composed of elastin fibers and collagen. The site of scar tissue from Peyronie's disease is composed mostly of collagen that can harden to the thickness of bone.

The healthy Tunica is mesh of organized collagen fibers. Highly effective. Our faulty tissue seems to be clumps of collagen.

Over 90% of the collagen in the human body is type I collagen.[8] However, as of 2011, 30 types of collagen have been identified, described, and divided into several groups according to the structure they form:

All scarring is composed of the same collagen as the tissue it has replaced, but the composition of the scar tissue, compared to the normal tissue, is different.[1] Scar tissue also lacks elasticity[3] unlike normal tissue which distributes fiber elasticity. Scars differ in the amounts of collagen overexpressed.

Fibroblasts

The scarring is created by fibroblast proliferation,[25] a process that begins with a reaction to the clot.[26]

To mend the damage, fibroblasts slowly form the collagen scar. The fibroblast proliferation is circular[26] and cyclically, the fibroblast proliferation lays down thick, whitish collagen[25] inside the provisional and collagen matrix, resulting in the abundant production of packed collagen on the fibers[25][26] giving scars their uneven texture. Over time, the fibroblasts continue to crawl around the matrix, adjusting more fibers and, in the process, the scarring settles and becomes stiff.[26] This fibroblast proliferation also contracts the tissue.[26] In unwounded tissue, these fibers are not overexpressed with thick collagen and do not contract.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scar#Types

A lot of that description sounds like the tissue we encounter. Takes some time to form.. (active to settled phase)
So let's get deeper into FIBROBLASTS

[melting]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibroblast#Function

Fibroblasts make collagen fibres, glycosaminoglycans, reticular and elastic fibers, Growing individuals' fibroblasts are dividing and synthesizing ground substance. Tissue damage stimulates fibrocytes and induces the production of fibroblasts.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128047347000026

Four different plaque types can be recognized "...": calcium, necrotic or soft plaque, fibrous plaque, and mixed or fibro-fatty plaque

THAT is very interesting. Calcium is sure a part of it in our case. But maybe also the other types.

In contrary to calcified plaques, soft plaques are vulnerable and are prone to rupture.

Which might be a good idea in our case, with obviously the problem being to not rupture more healthy collagen structures(!). I think in a sense we are doing that with traction and VED. Tough to directly target the plaque only.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrous_cap

The fibrous cap is a layer of fibrous connective tissue, which is thicker and less cellular than the normal intima("TUNICA"), found in atherosclerotic plaques. The fibrous cap contains macrophages and smooth muscle cells.[1] The fibrous cap of an atheroma(Artery walls) is composed of bundles of muscle cells, macrophages, foam cells, lymphocytes, collagen and elastin.[1]

The fibrous cap is prone to rupture and ulceration which can lead to thrombosis. In advanced lesions further complications may arise including calcification of the fibrous cap.[2]

Much of the resources about these fibrous structures is about cardiovasular health problems and related to arteries. But it still should apply to our penis which isn't that much different in it's basic structures.

[Godisreal]

You mention: "Calcified plaques, soft plaques, scar tissue, fibroids, hardened tissue are some of them".

Which one of these scar-types are the most difficult to get rid off/break down in your opinion?
Great researching btw! Happy to see this.

[melting]

The big question is what we want to achieve once it breaks/dissolves. The faulty tissue isn't just evaporating. It's maybe getting dissolved and then transport away by the bodys mechanisms. Or it "breaks up".

A calcified plaque is basically a "foreign body". It has no normal blood supply. Healthy tissue has blood supply. Veins, arteries and nerves move through it. Veins, arteries and nervers can grow/migrate into tissue.
They can't into scar tissue, hard plaques. They might influence soft tissue though.
If tissue breaks up the space between the broken parts might turn healthy again.(or gets inflamed again..!)
In a sense getting rid of the calcification seemed easy for me. But what's left is a "lump"/fibroid that only breaks down very slowly with what I did(transdermal + traction/VED). But maybe there's a chemical or comination of chemicals we could use that breaks it down faster(I'm searching for it)

I choose my user handle cause using my transdermals felt like I'm "melting" the plaques. Probably not what's happening but which brings me to another topic: HEAT, TEMPERATURE and it's influence on collagen.

[melting]

When you warm up tissue it becomes more flexible. You can stretch it further. It doesn't break as easily as cold tissue too.
We sure can utilize both heat and cold in influencing the healthy and faulty tissue.

Heating up our penis(WITHOUT BURNING IT!) might enable the healthy tissue to expand while we are stretching with traction and/or VED while at the same time the faulty tissue is not expanding as easily and hence might be broken up/disintigrated while the healthy tissue stays functional.

The same might go for cold treatment where the range for collagen to break is much lower with the idea that the faulty tissue breaks and the healthy doesn't. Of course this is all theoretical and research. Don't heat or cool your d**k just because you read it.
Though I did VED in a water pump with ice cold water without breaking my penis.

Scars on the skin can be remodeled via lasers(which is heat).(from an advertisment:)

Why are laser treatments the most effective treatment for acne scars? They produce the most amount of neocollagensis (stimulation of new collagen and elastin, which is required to remodel acne scars). One of the only ways to stimulate collagen is to damage the skin to elicit a wound-healing response. Lasers use light energy to create these small wounds.

Of course we need to have an enviroment in our penis that is beneficial to such a process of challenging the collagenous tissue with heat, that doesn't create more faulty tissue. If someone has an underlying issue any challenge the body might handle with creating more faulty tissue.

There's a lot more on heat and it's effects on tendons, especially regarding physical therapy. The penis Tunica isn't that dissimilar to these structures. Injuries to tendons in the legs or arms can result with similar faulty tissues that need to be stretched like we have in the Penis.

[Godisreal]

Great information, melting.
I have a question:
-  I experience pretty severe thinning in flaccid state most of the time; while my other dick problems are being taken care of, I'm not sure how to solve the thinning.
The thinning is caused by a lot of small soft lumps/scar tissue repressing healthy tissue and blood can't get out there as easily. This results in a very thin and matchstick-looking penis.
I wonder if VED would do significant difference, theoretically speaking; a VED would "force" blood to be pumped into these soft lumps I mentioned, correct?
Since that's the actual treatment in itself; however, I am very afraid to hurt myself using the VED since I'm still in active phase.
Thoughts on this, people?
God bless  

[melting]

The thinning is caused by a lot of small soft lumps/scar tissue repressing healthy tissue and blood can't get out there as easily. This results in a very thin and matchstick-looking penis.

You mean blood can't get in? If there was blood in it it wouldn't be thin..?  

I wonder if VED would do significant difference, theoretically speaking; a VED would "force" blood to be pumped into these soft lumps I mentioned, correct?

Technically it's not that easy that blood just gets pumped into them. At best if they're close to the spongy smooth muscle cells that get filled with blood it could happen..
It's more about stretching the plaques and the tissue around them. They're lumps of fibrous faulty collagenous material. It won't be easy for the body to reclaim the space. It's like they're sealed off from the body.

If you're afraid then you probably shouldn't do it.
I think it's pretty straight forward on how to deal with it all. Get the inflammation down by solving underlying issues(illness, lifestyle, pelvic floor,..), by calming the area down with transdermal and oral supplements and healthy good bloodflow. Then stretch/manipulate the plaques and penis tissue by countering bends and intendations (while softening and flooding the plaques with transdermal supplements and keeping blood flow high.)

[Godisreal]

Thanks for taking the time.
Yeah, the plan is clear as day; but the psychological component is huge... sometimes I don't know what to do.  

[melting]

Focus, don't get lost all over the place! Keep doing what works/doesn't hurt and modify/throw out what doesn't work/hurts.

[JohnnyDoe]

Thanks for the info and explanation!
Question: Isn't it important to know what type of faulty tissue you have to be able to treat it properly?
Just thinking that it might be a reason why people have different reactions on the same treatments.

[melting]

I agree.
I'm pretty sure the hard one are mostly calcified/calcium. Others are more fibrous/fatty type. I noticed my plaques were calcified but maybe only around them cause after some time of applying my transdermals they softened and hardened again when stopping the treatment.

Then you might have "normal" scars without the fibrous tissue..

I think many treatments are fine for any kind though..  

[FlavioSousa]

Could you please be more specific and, if possible, post photos of plaques?

My penis bends a bit to the left and I don't like it, how do I know for sure if it's Peyronies Disease or not?

Are these plaques palpable? There are no lumps or hard areas in my penis, it just bends a bit.

I believe I injured myself once, there was some blood but I didn't feel any pain. Could this be the cause of my curvature?

Thanks in advance.

[FlavioSousa]

If calcium is the problem, why not a topical treatment with an anti calcium agent? I guess absorption would be the main problem here. Maybe the new topical gel MED2005 for ED will pave the way for a new topical Peyronies Disease treatment.

[melting]

If calcium is the problem, why not a topical treatment with an anti calcium agent? I guess absorption would be the main problem here. Maybe the new topical gel MED2005 for Erectile Dysfunction will pave the way for a new topical Peyronies Disease treatment.

Yes, I used anti calcium supplements with transdermals(DMSO, check link in my signature)

Could you please be more specific and, if possible, post photos of plaques?

No, they're inside. Can't picture them.

My penis bends a bit to the left and I don't like it, how do I know for sure if it's Peyronies Disease or not?

With doppler ultrasound at the doctor. But not always..(established plaques, older, show more often)

Are these plaques palpable? There are no lumps or hard areas in my penis, it just bends a bit.

yes often palpable but not always.

I believe I injured myself once, there was some blood but I didn't feel any pain. Could this be the cause of my curvature?

If only on skin,.. probably not. If you bend penis, yes, possible.

[Holistic]

Melting,

Did you check out my Vitamin C post in the alt treatments?

https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.php/topic,13836.0.html

The fibrin and elastin are discussed a little