Use of penile shear wave elastosonography for the diagnosis of Peyronie’s Disease: a prospective case–control study

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the stiffness of the tunica albuginea (TA), we used a new noninvasive diagnostic technique called shear wave elastography (SWE). We determined whether SWE values are correlated with the degree of penile curvature, the time of disease onset, and pain severity experienced by patients during erection. This study analyzed the elasticity of the TA of patients with Peyronie’s disease compared to that of the control group. We also analyzed any correlations between the stiffness of the cavernous bodies and the degree of curvature, time from diagnosis to curvature onset, and erectile pain severity. This was a prospective case–control study involving 100 men enrolled from September 2020 to August 2021. Participants were divided into group A (case group, n = 50), which included men with PD, with or without pain, and with penile curvature, or group B (control group, n = 50), which included healthy patients older than 18 years who visited the urology clinic for reasons other than PD. The medical history was collected for all patients who also underwent objective examination, B-mode ultrasound evaluation, and SWE. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaire was administered to all participants. RESULTS: There were no significant between-group differences regarding age, weight, and height (p > 0.05); however, there was a significant difference in the stiffness values (p < 0.05). An inverse correlation was observed between stiffness and the VAS score (p < 0.0001). A positive correlation was observed between the degree of curvature (p < 0.0001) and the time of curvature onset (p < 0.0001). The IIEF-15 scores were poorer in group A than in group B (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: SWE is an inexpensive, noninvasive method that can be used to measure the stiffness of PD patients.