Histopathologically Proven Prevention of Post-Prostatectomy Cavernosal Fibrosis with Sildenafil

Vol. 80, No. 3, 2008

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Original Paper

Histopathologically Proven Prevention of Post-Prostatectomy Cavernosal Fibrosis with Sildenafil
Fabrizio Iacono^a, Domenico Prezioso^a, Pasquale Somma^b, Stefania Chierchia^a, Raffaele Galasso^a, Pietro Micheli^b

^aCattedra di Urologia, Dipartimento di Ginecologia e Ostetricia, Medicina della Riproduzione e Urologia, Università di Napoli 'Federico II', and
^bPathology Unit, 'D. Cotugno' Hospital, Naples, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Urol Int 2008;80:249-252 (DOI: 10.1159/000127335)

Key Words

Post-prostatectomy cavernosal fibrosis
Sildenafil
Corpora cavernosa
Erectile dysfunction
Cavernous fibrosis
Radical prostatectomy
Cavernous microarchitecture

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate whether a dose of 50 mg preserved the architecture of the corpora cavernosa biopsy in man. Methods: 21 patients (54-70 years old) who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer were treated with sildenafil citrate (50 mg, 3 times a week for 2 months) soon after surgery. They underwent cavernous biopsy before surgery and after 2 months of sildenafil treatment. Biopsy tissues were fixed in formalin, stained with Masson's trichrome method, and evaluated with the Eureka Interface system with a per-area analysis, and elastic fibers were counted on 10-12 fields (×400) of five serial sections. Results: Two months after surgery the percent of connective tissue in cavernosa samples in all patients did not differ from that before surgery, being between 30 and 40% in the per-area analysis. Similarly, the elastic fiber count did not differ significantly before and after surgery. Conclusions: Sildenafil prevented the progression of fibrosis in prostatectomized patients. Its efficacy seems to result from an antiproliferative effect exerted on fibroblasts.

Author Contacts

Prof. Fabrizio Iacono, MD
Via Tasso 480, Parco Matarazzo
IT-80127 Naples (Italy)
Tel. +39 081 060 9149, Fax +39 081 1957 4928
E-Mail fiacon@tin.it

Article Information

Received: February 12, 2007
Accepted after revision: June 6, 2007
Published online: May 14, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 20

Medline Abstract (ID 18480625)

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