Relationship between the severity of penile curvature and the presence of comorbidities in men with Peyronie's disease.

PURPOSE: We investigated the relationship between penile curvature severity and co-morbidities in men with Peyronie's disease (PD) and assessed whether the severity of curvature had an impact on penile vascular status and/or erectile function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on a 10-year period 469 patients with PD were retrospectively evaluated in regard to age at diagnosis, type and degree of penile curvature, erectile dysfunction (ED) and other comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, serum lipid abnormalities, smoking and ischemic heart disease. To assess penile vascular status all men with PD underwent penile duplex Doppler ultrasound evaluation. The severity of penile curvature was classified using the Kelami system, that is grade 1--curvature 30 degrees or less, grade 2--30 to 60 degrees and grade 3--greater than 60 degrees.

RESULTS: Mean patient age was 54.8 +/- 4.3 years (range 18 to 79) and the mean duration of symptoms was 24.8 +/- 13.7 months (range 3 to 120). The most common penile abnormality was dorsal curvature in 47.1% of patients. The most frequently documented co-morbid conditions in association with PD were hypertension in 27.2% of cases, smoking in 25.5%, hypercholesterolemia in 18.3%, diabetes mellitus in 17.2%, hyperlipidemia in 15.7% and a history of penile trauma in 13.2%. There was no relationship between the number or severity of each of these co-morbid conditions and the severity of the penile abnormality. In addition, there was no relationship between the severity of penile curvature and penile vascular status in patients with PD. Moreover, the prevalence of these comorbidities, except smoking and penile trauma history, was significantly higher in patients with PD and concurrent ED than in patients with PD only.

CONCLUSIONS: While co-morbid conditions, such as hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia, are commonly seen in patients with PD and may seem to be risk factors for PD, there was no statistical relationship between penile curvature severity and any of these comorbidities. Similarly there was no statistically significant relationship between the severity of curvature and penile vascular status or ED. The fact that the prevalence of associated comorbidities is higher in patients with PD and ED than in patients with PD only indicates that these comorbidities are more likely related to ED than to the pathogenesis of PD.