Background: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a fibrosing disorder of the penis resulting in plaque formation and penile deformity that negatively affect sexual and psychosocial function of patients. A multifactorial etiology of PD is assumed with diabetes mellitus (DM) being a potential risk factor.
Objectives: The aim of this narrative review was to investigate diabetes role in PD pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
Materials and methods: A non-systematic narrative review of original articles, meta-analyses, and randomized trials was conducted, including articles in the pre-clinical setting to support relevant findings.
Results: Diabetes is one of the most common comorbidity observed in PD patients, with a prevalence of about 11% and a strong association with erectile dysfunction (ED). DM is associated with both a higher risk of developing PD and has also an impact on the outcomes of PD's treatments.
Discussion: Evidence from literature underlines that metabolic alterations typical of DM are pivotal factors in the development of PD and resistance to its medical treatment.
Conclusion: The role of DM in development of PD is still debated, while its role in PD development is not completely clear, there is a clear impact of DM on PD treatment outcomes.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus; epidemiology; etiology; peyronie's disease.
© 2022 The Authors. Andrology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.