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The recently published article “The Association Between Peyronie’s Disease and Depression: A Scoping Review,” authored by Rune Kraglund, Emil Durukan, Annamaria Giraldi, and Mikkel Fode, serves as a theoretical framework for understanding the intricate relationship between depressive disorders and Peyronie’s disease (PD). As mentioned in the review, depression and PD share risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and diabetes, which may somewhat justify the higher prevalence of depression in patients with PD. However, data also indicate that patients are at an increased risk of depression even before presenting PD. Although the current literature cannot yet determine a causal link between the psychological impact of PD and depression, this information might suggest a common physiopathology and a more complex interaction. Systemic inflammation is a relevant aspect for the pathophysiology of both disorders and may be the key to understanding the unique interplay between depression and PD.

It is well established in the literature that there exists a bidirectional relationship between depression and inflammation.1 Currently, it is also possible to study the pathophysiologic aspects of PD with attention to the role of free radicals more comprehensively.2 In other words, in addition to local inflammation, PD is associated with systemic inflammation.3 A number of conditions associated with systemic inflammation are correlated with PD and depressive disorders, as mentioned in the review and other articles. For example, activation of the inflammatory response system is a common pathway between cancer and depression. A study has also shown that patients with PD have a higher risk of cancer, a well-known highly inflammatory condition.1,4

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