Clin Exp Emerg Med.  2017 Mar;4(1):56-59. 10.15441/ceem.15.115.

Non-aneurysmal and non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage after attempted suicide by incomplete hanging

• Kim TH
• Lee SH
• Kim DH
• Kim SC
• Jin W
• Kim SY
• Shin SH
• Lee SB

• KMID: 2376725
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15441/ceem.15.115

Abstract

Hanging is a common method of suicide that is being reported more frequently in many countries. Several complications including injuries to the cervical spine, neck vessels, and brain can occur after attempted suicide by hanging. There are only a few reports of brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of hanging victims. The most common abnormality was diffuse cerebral edema. A subarachnoid hemorrhage is an atypical complication by suicidal hanging. We report a case of a female patient who presented to an emergency department with altered mental status after attempting suicide by incomplete hanging. The patient was diagnosed with a non-aneurysmal and non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. This case shows that spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage can develop due to a sudden elevation of intracranial pressure, as occurs with hanging.

Keyword

Hanging; Strangulation; Subarachnoid hemorrhage; Suicide

MeSH Terms

Brain
Brain Edema
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Humans
Intracranial Pressure
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Methods
Neck
Spine
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*
Suicide
Suicide, Attempted*