Several topical preparations containing lidocaine, a widely used local anesthetic agent, have been developed and marketed recently for the treatment of premature ejaculation. In this study, microemulsion(ME)-based hydrogels containing lidocaine were prepared by dispersing ME to hydrogel bases such as Carbopol, sod. alginate, and sod. carboxymethylcellulose. Lidocaine-containing ME was thermodynamically stable over 6 months and had a diameter ranging from 10 to 100 nm. In vitro skin penetration of lidocaine from ME-based hydrogels followed apparent zero-order kinetics. ME-based hydrogel showed higher drug penetration during fifteen minutes after application than alcoholic hydrogel, reference preparation. Tail flick test in rat was introduced to compare in vivo local anesthetic effects of different hydrogels, and the results showed that ME-based hydrogels are superior to other hydrogels. In optical microscopy, recrystallization of lidocaine was observed within 5 min after application of reference hydrogel, but there was no change in ME-based hydrogels even after 30 minnute. These results indicated that ME-based hydrogels had some advantages in skin penetration, anesthetic effect and physical stability compared with alcoholic hydrogels. Finally it is possible to conclude that ME-based hydrogels containing lidocaine is a good topical drug delivery system for the treatment of premature ejaculation.