Topical Mucoadhesive Alginate-Based Hydrogel Loading Ketorolac for Pain Management after Pharmacotherapy, Ablation, or Surgical Removal in Condyloma Acuminata

Condyloma acuminata is an infectious disease caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. It is manifested as warts that frequently cause pain, pruritus, burning, and occasional bleeding. Treatment (physical, chemical, or surgical) can result in erosion, scars, or ulcers, implying inflammatory processes causing pain. In this work, a biocompatible topical hydrogel containing 2% ketorolac tromethamine was developed to manage the painful inflammatory processes occurring upon the removal of anogenital condylomas. The hydrogel was physically, mechanically, and morphologically characterized: it showed adequate characteristics for a topical formulation. Up to 73% of ketorolac in the gel can be released following a one-phase exponential model. Upon application on human skin and vaginal mucosa, ketorolac can permeate through both of these and it can be retained within both tissues, particularly on vaginal mucosa. Another advantage is that no systemic side effects should be expected after application of the gel. The hydrogel showed itself to be well tolerated in vivo when applied on humans, and it did not cause any visible irritation. Finally, ketorolac hydrogel showed 53% anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting that it is a stable and suitable formulation for the treatment of inflammatory processes, such as those occurring upon chemical or surgical removal of anogenital warts.