Objective: To test some hypotheses about risk factors for Peyronie's disease (PD).
Patients and methods: In a case-control study, 82 patients with PD, consecutively diagnosed at the first author's institution, were compared with 246 men visiting the same institution for dermatological diseases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the data.
Results: From the multivariate logistic regression analysis the risk factors for PD were: a history of genital and/or perineal injuries, transurethral prostatectomy, cystoscopy, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lipoma, propranolol in therapy, Dupuytren's contracture in the medical history, ever having smoked, alcohol consumption, fibromatous lesions of the genital tract of the partner, and surgical intervention on the genital tract of the partner.
Conclusion: The results of the present study are in line with the hypothesis that, in addition to genetic predisposition, trauma of the penis and systemic vascular diseases are risk factors for PD. Smoking and alcohol consumption also seem to have some role in the development of the disease.