Survival of a victim of Isadora Duncan syndrome: a case report

Incidents of accidental strangulation by uncovered (open-spoked) wheels of vehicles are not uncommon but survival following such incidents is quite a rare phenomenon. The possibility of death from strangulation by a scarf getting caught in the wheel spokes of a vehicle was brought to the public's attention when the world famous dancer Isadora Duncan died on 14 September 1929. Cycle-powered rickshaws, bicycles and bullock-carts remain common forms of transport in India. However, the uncovered spokes of the vehicle wheel can trap the dupatta/chunni/odhani (long scarf worn around neck) worn by Indian women. A number of cases of fatal accidental strangulation have been described by different authors involving vehicles like cycle-powered rickshaws, bicycles and bullock-carts, with very few cases of reported survivors. Here we report a case of accidental strangulation involving a young girl with the dupatta getting caught in moving wheel of a bullock-cart, in which the victim survived in spite of severe injury to neck structures.