U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Assessment of the Usefulness of Routine Histological Examination in Hanging Deaths

NCJ Number
241225
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2012 Pages: 976-978
Author(s)
Rexson Tse, M.B., B.S.; Neil Langlois, M.D.; Calle Winskog, M.D.; Roger W. Byard, M.D.
Date Published
July 2012
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This study was carried out on 100 randomly selected medico-legal autopsies of victims who had committed suicide by hanging.
Abstract
A retrospective study was carried out on 100 randomly selected medico-legal autopsies of victims who had committed suicide by hanging. All cases had undergone full police and coronial investigation. Complete external and internal examinations had been carried out including routine histological examination of organs. The age range of victims was 15-94 years (average, 41.7 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 7:1. External and internal injuries were consistent with the reported events. Diagnoses based purely on histology included hepatic steatosis (n = 16), asthma (n = 3), lymphocytic thyroiditis (n = 2), and pulmonary and cardiac sarcoidosis (n = 1). A large cell carcinoma of the lung and a rectal adenocarcinoma were confirmed. Histological evaluation was, however, of limited usefulness in contributing to the medico-legal evaluation of cases, with careful scene, external and internal examinations providing the most relevant information. The results of histological examination of tissues were all incidental to the cause, mechanism, and manner of death. Abstract published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.