1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Murakumbattu, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
3Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
4Assistant Professor, Deparment of Pharmacology, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
5Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
6Professor and Head, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
*Corresponding author: Dr. K Jyothi Prasad, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, INDIA. Phone No: (0) 9701768830, E-mail jyothiprasad99@gmail.com
Online published on 2 January, 2017.
Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicidal deaths in India. Virtually all hangings are suicides until otherwise it is proved contrary. The ligature mark plays a major role in deriving the important findings to lead investigation. The correlation of external, internal findings help to establishing the crucial facts in cases of hanging.
To study various patterns of ligature mark. To differentiate cases of antemortem hanging with postmortem.
A study carried out in Departments of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, S. V. Medical College, Tirupati from January 2010 to December 2013 with 83 cases of asphyxial deaths due to hanging. A thorough external and internal examination of ligature mark was performed in all the cases.
Majority, 37(44.5%) of cases belong to 3-decade (21–30 yrs). Males are common victims-52 (62.6%). Complete hanging was commonest type-76(91.56%). Chunni was commonest material-25 (31.12%). Single ligature mark was common-80(96.3%). Gross examination revealed soft tissue changes in 23(27.71%) cases. Microscopic examination-breaking, wrinkling and compression of skin along with micro hemorrhages and inflammatory changes in subcutaneous tissues were notified.
The correlation of external, internal and microscopic findings leads to easy formulation of final opinion these cases. It also, to some extent helps to delineate antemortem cases of hanging with postmortem cases.
Hanging, Ligature Material, Microscopic Examination, Suicidal Deaths
