Postmortem Toxicology of Tadalafil in a Forensic Case

Abstract

Tadalafil is an inhibitor of the human enzyme cyclic guanosine monophosphate–specific phosphodiesterase, type 5 (PDE-5). As a mild vasodilator, it is primarily used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, an increasingly common condition in men. It is also used for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Adverse events of this drug are rare. Absolute contraindications include serious cardiac disease. Despite the widespread use of tadalafil, very little is known about its toxicology in forensic pathology and its association with post-mortem redistribution. This study presents a forensic case with possible contribution of tadalafil. The administration of tadalafil might act as a concurrent cause or contributing factor for lethal cardiogenic shock in people with cardiac disease.