Penile Shear Wave Elastography Can Demonstrate and Classify the Development of Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Observational Study

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of penile shear wave elastography (PSWE) in demonstrating erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to determine an optimal cut-off value. METHODS: Patients aged 18-40 who were diagnosed with type 1 DM were included. Erectile function was assessed using the five-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Arterial, venous, and non-vascular etiologies of ED were classified based on peak systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity data obtained from the penile corpus cavernosum via penile Doppler ultrasonography. Five separate PSWE measurements were performed for each patient, and the final kilopascal (kPa) value was calculated as the mean of these five measurements. Patients with IEFF-5 scores ≥17 (no or mild ED) were assigned to Group A, while those with scores