Legal Medicine
Volume 12, Issue 5 , Pages 228-232 , September 2010

Can MRI of the neck compete with clinical findings in assessing danger to life for survivors of manual strangulation? A statistical analysis

  • Andreas Christe

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
    • Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: Department of Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. Tel.: +41316322111.
  • ,
  • Lars Oesterhelweg

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Turmstrasse 21, 10559 Berlin, Germany
  • ,
  • Steffen Ross

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Danny Spendlove

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Stephan Bolliger

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Peter Vock

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Michael J. Thali

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Received 16 February 2010 ,Revised 9 April 2010 ,Accepted 13 May 2010.

References 

  1. Plattner T, Bolliger S, Zollinger U. Forensic assessment of survived strangulation. Forensic Sci Int. 2005;153(2–3):202–207
  2. Yen K, Thali MJ, Aghayev E, Jackowski C, Schweitzer W, Boesch C, et al. Strangulation signs: initial correlation of MRI MSCT and forensic neck findings. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2005;22(4):501–510
  3. Linnau KF, Cohen WA. Radiologic evaluation of attempted suicide by hanging: cricotracheal separation and common carotid artery dissection. AJR AM J Roentgenol. 2002;178–214
  4. Poquet E, Dibiane A, Jourdain C, el Amine M, Jacob A, Escure MN. Blunt injury of the larynx by hanging X-ray computed tomographic aspect. J Radiol. 1995;76:107–109in French
  5. Noguchi K, Matsuoka Y, Hohda K, Katsuyama J, Nishimura S. A case of common carotid artery stenosis due to hanging. No Shinkei Geka. 1992;20:1185–1188in Japanese
  6. Lupetin AR, Hollander M, Rao VM. CT evaluation of laryngotracheal trauma. Semin Musculoskel Radiol. 1998;2:105–116
  7. Meglin AJ, Biedlingsmaier JF, Mirvis SE. Three-dimensional computerized tomography in the evaluation of laryngeal injury. Laryngoscope. 1991;101:202–207
  8. Yen K, Vock P, Christe A, Scheurer E, Plattner T, Schön C, et al. Clinical forensic radiology in strangulation victims: forensic expertise based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Int J Legal Med. 2007;121(2):115–123Epub 2007 Jan 6
  9. Christe A, Thoeny H, Ross S, Spendlove D, Tshering D, Bolliger S, et al. Life-threatening versus non-life-threatening manual strangulation: appropriate criteria for MR imaging of the neck. Eur Radiol. 2009;19(8):1882–1889Epub 2009 Mar 13
  10. Wahlen BM, Thierbach AR. Near-hanging. Eur J Emerg Med. 2002;9(4):348–350
  11. McHugh TP, Stout M. Near-hanging injury. Ann Emerg Med. 1983;12:774–776
  12. Iserson KV. Strangulation: a review of ligature, manual, and postural neck compression injuries. Ann Emerg Med. 1984;13:179–185
  13. Maxeiner H, Bockholdt B. Homicidal and suicidal ligature strangulation – a comparison of the post-mortem findings. Forensic Sci Int. 2003;137:60–66
  14. Maxeiner H. Morphologic findings for airway occlusion in strangulation (in German). Arch Kriminol. 1989;183:37–44
  15. 15. Spitz WU, Fisher RS. Medicolegal investigation of death. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas; 1993. 829p.
  16. Knight B. Fatal pressure on the neck. Forensic pathology. London/Melbourne/Auckland: Edwart Arnold; 1991. pp 334–359.
  17. Brinkmann B, Koops E, Wischhusen F, Kleiber M. Compression of the neck and arterial obstruction. Z Rechtsmedizin. 1981;7:59–73
  18. Koops E, Püschel K, Wischhusen F, Fechner G, Brinkamnn B. Zur obstruktion der Halsarterien beim Würgen. Beitr Ger Med. 1983;41:315–321
  19. Brinkmann B, Püschel K. Ersticken – Fortschritte in der Beweisführung. Berlin: Springer; 1990.
  20. Härm T, Rajs J. Types of injuries and interrelated conditions of victims and assailants in attempted and homicidal strangulation. Forensic Sci Int. 1981;18:101–123
  21. Thali MJ, Yen K, Schweitzer W, Vock P, Boesch C, Ozdoba C, et al. Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci. 2003;48(2):386–403
  22. Thali MJ, Braun M, Buck U, Aghayev E, Jackowski C, Vock P, et al. VIRTOPSY – scientific documentation, reconstruction and animation in forensic: individual and real 3D data based geo-metric approach including optical body/object surface and radiological CT/MRI scanning. J Forensic Sci. 2005;50:428–442

PII: S1344-6223(10)00086-6

doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2010.05.004

Legal Medicine
Volume 12, Issue 5 , Pages 228-232 , September 2010