J Korean Androl Soc.  1996 Jun;14(1):43-47.

Preventive Effect of Oral Ketoconazole on Postoperative Penile Erection

• Kim JI
• Park NC

Abstract

The natural erection in patients undergoing penile surgery can be painful and may interfere with wound healing. The administration of ketoconazole, an inhibitor of testosterone synthesis, was evaluated to determine whether it prevented postoperative penile erection in 20 consecutive patients undergoing penile or urethral surgery. The drug was administered orally in a dose of 1200mg/day to adults and 3mg/kg per day children for 7 days starting the day before surgery. Ten other patients received a placebo. Nineteen patients receiving ketoconazole experienced no postoperative penile erection, and 1 patient had mild penile pain due to noctumal and morning penile erection. Five patients revealed elevated serum concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase for a mean of 3 days during ketoconazole therapy but recovered with drug discontinuation. Serum testosterpne levels fell to 42.1 + 12.1% (SD) and 5.3 +2.7% of baseline at 24 and 48 hours of drug administration, respectively, and returned to 90.4 + 8.1% of baseline in 24 hours of therapy but returned to the normal range within 24 hours with discontinution. The patients in the placebo had painful erections but showed no remarkable findings of liver function or serumhormones. Oral ketoconazole is a reliable method of inhibiting postoperative erection in patients undergoing penile surgery.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Child
Humans
Ketoconazole*
Liver
Male
Penile Erection*
Reference Values
Testosterone
Wound Healing
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Ketoconazole
Testosterone