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Acute pulmonary emphysema in death by hanging: a morphometric digital study
Claudia Castiglioni1, Pia Baumann1, Tony Fracasso2
1Centre universitaire romand de médecine légale, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206, Geneva, Chemin de la Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne, Switzerland.
International Journal of Legal Medicine
|July 23, 2016
Summary
Acute pulmonary emphysema (APE) was investigated in deaths by hanging. Incomplete hanging showed higher mean alveolar area, suggesting APE as a potential sign of vitality in these cases.
Area of Science:
- Forensic pathology
- Pulmonary pathology
- Digital image analysis
Background:
- Acute pulmonary emphysema (APE) is documented in mechanical asphyxia but not typically in hanging deaths.
- Vital signs in forensic investigations are crucial for determining cause and manner of death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence of APE in deaths by hanging using morphometric digital analysis.
- To determine if APE can serve as a sign of vitality in hanging cases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lung tissue from 16 hanging cases (complete and incomplete), 10 drowning cases (positive control), and 10 bleeding cases (negative control).
- Morphometric digital analysis of alveolar spaces to calculate mean alveolar area (MAA).
Main Results:
- Mean alveolar area (MAA) was significantly higher in incomplete hanging compared to complete hanging.
- MAA in incomplete hanging was similar to that observed in freshwater drowning cases.
- APE was identified as a potential sign of vitality in incomplete hanging.
Conclusions:
- Acute pulmonary emphysema in incomplete hanging may indicate a sign of vitality.
- The presence of APE in incomplete hanging requires careful interpretation due to other conditions causing alveolar distension.