Unusual concentration of tramadol detected in cadaver in the last stage of decomposition and in fly larvae in the immediate vicinity: case report and literature review

Determination of the manner and cause of death from skeletal remains is almost always very difficult and can be a challenge for medical examiners. At the end also on skeletal remains, it is possible to assess mechanical, chemical, and thermal injuries, although it can be usually impossible. Possibilities to analyze biological material for the presence of drugs are also limited. The present study describes a case of a homeless man’s skeletal remains on which a large number of fly larvae were found. Unusually high concentration of tramadol (TML) in the bone marrow (BM) = 4530 ng/g, muscle (M) = 4020 ng/g, and fly larvae (FL) = 280 ng/g was detected using a validated GC/MS method. In all analyzed samples, caffeine and N-desmethyltramadol (except BM) were qualitatively determined. Autopsy findings and toxicological analyses of the BM suggested that the cause of death could probably be intoxication by TML. It is apparent from the reviewed literature that analysis of TML in the late stages of decomposition of human body is rarely performed. Literature is predominantly focused on animal studies. Thus, TML concentrations analyzed in BM, M, or FL could be found helpful in relation to evaluation of intoxication by this substance. However, the significance of the results obtained in the presented study should be confirmed by further analyses of BM, M, or FL, where TML would be proved in lethal concentration in the blood.