NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Topical anesthetic EMLA cream is effective in treating premature ejaculation, according to a report in the February issue of Urology.

"Topical EMLA cream alone seems a reasonable, inexpensive, effective, and easily applicable treatment modality for premature ejaculation treatment," co-author Dr. Altug Tuncel from Ankara Numune Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, told Reuters Health.

Dr. Tuncel and colleagues compared the efficacy of sildenafil-only, sildenafil plus topical EMLA, and EMLA-only in 84 men with premature ejaculation.

The effectiveness rates were 40% (8/20) for placebo, 55% (11/20) for sildenafil-only, 86.4% (19/22) for the combination of sildenafil plus EMLA, and 77.3% (17/22) for EMLA-only, the authors report.

The differences between placebo and sildenafil-only and between the combination of sildenafil plus EMLA and EMLA-only were not statistically significant, the results indicate. However, the latter two treatments were significantly better than the former two treatments.

Headache and flushing were observed in patients taking sildenafil as part of their treatment, the researchers note, but no side effects were reported by patients taking placebo or EMLA-only.

"Although the sildenafil plus topical EMLA cream and topical EMLA cream-only treatments were superior to placebo and sildenafil-only treatment of premature ejaculation, topical EMLA cream alone had effectiveness equal to that of the combination treatment," the authors note.

For patients who do not benefit from EMLA cream, sildenafil citrate could be used, Dr. Tuncel said.

Urology 2006;67:388-391

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