Penile Dimensions of Diabetic and Nondiabetic Men With Erectile Dysfunction: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

This study aimed to report penile dimensions in diabetic and nondiabetic men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and correlate their dimensions with other study variables. A case-control study was designed through retrospective data analysis of diabetic and nondiabetic patients consulting for ED and a control group ( n = 105, each group). Study data retrieved included history, clinical evaluation, and penile dimensions (pendulous length [PL], total length [TL], and circumference [CF]) at flaccid and erect states. Results identified that patients had lower values (mean, cm) for almost all penile dimensions. The diabetic patients identified significant differences in most dimensions, whether in flaccid (PL: 7.46 vs. 7.51 and 7.81, p = .11; TL: 11.8 vs. 12.77 and 12.88, p = .000; CF: 8.84 vs. 9.1 and 9.14, p = .016) or erect state (PL: 9.66 vs. 9.61 and 10, p = .092; TL: 13.96 vs. 14.88 and 15.04, p = .000; CF: 11.56 vs. 12.06 and 11.92, p = .018) as compared with the nondiabetic patients and controls, respectively. No significant correlation was detected between the dimensions and age, durations of diabetes and ED, or erectile function scores. In conclusion, diabetic and nondiabetic patients with ED presented, in varying degrees, significant decline in their penile dimensions, and this was more prevalent in diabetic patients. As changes in penile size could be a silent corollary of comorbidities, monitoring the changes in penile dimensions should be an important component of the clinical checkup of any patient with ED, especially a diabetic patient.

Keywords: diabetes; erectile dysfunction; penile dimensions.