Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurological Findings in Indian Patients who Survived Suicidal Hanging - A Retrospective Study | ||
| Ain Shams Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology | ||
| Volume 43, Issue 2, July 2024, Pages 7-13 PDF (1.1 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ajfm.2024.365476 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Das U1; Biswas J2; Pandit N1; Bhadra T3 | ||
| 1Department of Radiodiagnosis, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, India. | ||
| 2Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, India. | ||
| 3Department of General Medicine, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, India. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Hanging is a common mode of suicide. Every year, more than 100,000 people commit suicide in our country. Although there are a few studies describing Computed Tomography (CT) findings of the neuroaxis in cases of hanging, studies describing findings in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are only a handful. The reason is that most of these patients usually die due to a narrow fatal period of 3 to 5 minutes before they reach the hospital. Among those who reach the hospital, the poor general condition doesn’t allow the long time required for an MRI. Method: A retrospective study was conducted where the neuroimaging findings in MRI in patients referred from various departments with a history of hanging between June 2020 to June 2023 were analyzed. Results: The study included 74 cases of non-fatal hanging, with only 29.72% of cases showing neuroimaging abnormalities (NIA). Adult-type hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was the most common NIA (13.51%), with fronto-parieto-occipital lobe involvement in 100% and temporal lobe involvement in 40% of cases. Spinal cord injury manifesting as cord signal hyperintensity was seen among 18.18% of the study population. Other miscellaneous findings included vascular, bony, spinal cord, and neck muscle injuries in 18.18%,18.18%,9%, and 37.84% cases respectively. Conclusion: Most cases of non-fatal hanging show no pathological NIA. Among those with NIA, the findings are predominantly reflective of acute global hypoxic injury. Further investigation and large-scale studies are needed to better understand the pathophysiology of the condition and prognosticate these patients based on neuroimaging findings. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Hanging; Suicide; Magnetic Resonance Imaging | ||
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