Pattern of neck findings in suicidal hanging A study in Manipur.

ABSTRACT

Deaths due to hanging are common among suicides. In a study on 84 cases of suicidal hanging brought for autopsy to the mortuary of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal during 2004 to 2008, it was observed that 77.38% of the cases were males and 22.62% were females. The highest number of victims was in the age range of 21-40 years. 73.81% of the cases committed suicide indoors and 57.14% of them used ropes as ligature material. 85.75% of the victims had fixed knots with a single turn and 10.71% had slip knots. Complete atypical hanging constituted 88.10% of the cases. 23.81% of the cases had tear of the carotid artery and 3.57% had hyoid fractures. None of the cases had cricoid or trachea fractures. The neck findings vary depending upon the composition, multiplicity and tightness of the ligature material used, the suspension time, type of hanging, etc. Hence, the possible findings in a suspected case of hanging must be always anticipated so as to avoid any erroneous opinion.