title: Detection of bromisovalum from the bone marrow of skeletonized human remains: a case report with a comparison between gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS).
abstract: We report a case of totally skeletonized human remains in which a considerable amount of a hypnotic, bromisovalum (bromovalerylurea), was detected from the bone marrow. The unknown skeletal remains were found in a bush, together with empty vials of bromisovalum and a water bottle. The body was identified as a 46-year-old male, who had died about seven months previously. There was no evidence of trauma. The dried bone marrow of both femurs was separately collected and toxicologically analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and a high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Bromisovalum was identified from the femurs. The concentration along with the circumstantial evidence suggested possible contribution of bromisovalum to the fatality. However, a considerable quantitative difference was observed between the left and right femur, showing significant post-mortem interference to toxicological evidence. The result showed that multiple sampling at least would be required for quantitative evaluation of post-mortem toxicological evidence. Moreover, the diagnostic value should also be considered with caution in relation to the load to bone marrow ratio of each drug concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oritani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry*; D001968:Bromisovalum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001968:Bromisovalum