Characterization of Lesions in Hanging Deaths

Abstract

Hanging is a common method of committing suicide and a routine task in medico-legal autopsies. The hanging mark is the most relevant external sign and its characteristics are well known, but, for unknown reasons, there are major differences in reports on internal findings. We retrospectively studied 228 consecutive cases of hanging deaths. A complete standard autopsy was performed for every case. We investigated the association between the characteristics of the hanging mark and the frequency of bone, cartilage, soft tissue, and vascular injuries with the mode of suspension. Most cases (75.3%) presented some kind of bone or cartilage fracture, but these were unrelated to any of the variables studied. Vascular lesions are clearly more infrequent: intimal injuries were found in the carotid artery (9.1%), the jugular vein (2.2%), and ruptures of the carotid adventitial layer (21.7%). These could be partially associated with the use of a hard fixed noose and body weight.

Suicidal Hanging in Eskisehir, Turkey: 25 Year Analysis

“…The materials used, the age of the person, whether or not it is a full hanging, and the hanging distance are affecting the formation of these findings. [1][2][3]5,16,[19][20][21]23,26,37,43]. These findings support the fact that the act of hanging takes place when one is alive [1,2,21,23,24,26].…”

“…Neck region should be examined in detail during autopsy. Hemorrhage and ecchymoses in soft tissues under neck skin, ecchymotic fractures in hyoid bone and troit cartilage support that hanging has been performed while the person is alive [2,3,16,17,[22][23][24][25][26]. Whether the person was affected by a substance or alcohol at a level that could make him/her ineffective before death should be investigated by performing toxicological examination [2,[27][28][29].…”

Adana’da Otopsileri Yapılan Ası ve Bağla Boğma Olgularının Boyun Bulguları

“…Ancak bu oranın benzer çalışmadaki oranlardan (%70.5,%74.1, %82,5) daha düşük olduğu görüldü (10,11,15). Yapılan değişik çalışmalarda boyun yapılarında ki kırıklara, SuarezPenaranda ve arkadaşları %75.3, Üzün ve arkadaşları %59.9, Green ve arkadaşları %47.5, İnanıcı ve arkadaşları %30, Charoonate ve arkadaşları %25 gibi değişik oranlarda rastlamışlardır (10)(11)(12)(13)16). Çalışmamızda da bu değerler içerisinde daha çok Green ve arkadaşlarına yakın olan %50.6 oranı saptanmıştır.…”

Nondrowning Asphyxia in Veterinary Forensic Pathology

“…41 Mineralization of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages in dogs is reported as early as 6 to 12 months of age, although there is considerable individual variation. 26 In people, the frequency of reported fractures of the laryngeal-hyoid apparatus varies for all types of strangulation 97,115,121,130 and usually increases with age of the person due to ossification of the hyoid and thyroid bones. 115 Detailed descriptions of neck dissections are available in the medical forensic literature.…”

“…19,20,78,96,100 There are few reports of lesions of strangulation in the veterinary pathology literature (Table 2). 24,55,77,83 The ligature mark is the most relevant lesion in hanging and ligature strangulation, 4,38,121 although it may be absent depending on the type of ligature used, the duration, and the characteristics of the animals' fur. 83 The ligature should be described and photographed in situ (Figs.…”