Prevalence and clinical correlates of Peyronie's disease in patients with Dupuytren's disease: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary andrology center.

Abstract

Background: Dupuytren's disease (DD) and Peyronie's disease (PD) are fibroproliferative disorders that may share common pathophysiological mechanisms.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of PD among male patients diagnosed with DD and to investigate its clinical and laboratory correlates.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary academic center and included 101 male patients diagnosed with DD. All participants underwent structured andrological evaluation and were classified into PD and non-PD groups. Clinical and laboratory parameters-including demographic, metabolic, sexual function, and inflammatory markers-were compared between the groups. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables, and Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of concomitant PD.

Outcomes: The primary outcome was the prevalence of PD among patients with DD. Secondary outcomes included associations between PD and clinical/laboratory features.

Results: PD was significantly associated with bilateral Dupuytren's contracture (86.4% vs. 50.6%, P = 0.003), diabetes mellitus (81.8% vs. 44.3%, P = 0.003), lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (median 38 vs. 43 mg/dL, P = 0.030), higher fasting glucose (median 146 vs. 104 mg/dL, P = 0.018), and higher HbA1c (median 7.55% vs. 6.20%, P = 0.005).Erectile function, assessed by the Erection Hardness Score, differed significantly between groups (median 3 in both; interquartile range: 2-3 in the PD group vs. 3-4 in the non-PD group, P = 0.007) (no significant differences were observed in the 6-item International Index of Erectile Function and the Sexual Health Inventory for Men scores).In multivariate analysis, bilateral DD (OR = 17.80, P = 0.020) and HbA1c (OR = 1.589, P = 0.031) remained independently associated with PD. Other variables did not differ significantly between groups.

Clinical implications: Male patients with DD-especially those with bilateral hand involvement or poor glycemic control-may warrant consideration for opportunistic urological evaluation to identify concomitant PD. However, further research is needed to determine the impact of early detection on patient outcomes.

Strengths and limitations: This study is among the few to explore the prevalence and clinical correlates of PD in patients with DD, using a structured urological evaluation and comprehensive laboratory profiling. However, its cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the single-center setting may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion: PD is highly prevalent among patients with DD, especially those with bilateral contracture and poor glycemic control. These findings support a possible systemic fibrotic predisposition and highlight the value of integrated metabolic and sexual health assessment in this population.