[Neurogenic pain following Palestinian hanging]

The number of refugees around the world who have fled political or ethnic persecution has increased. An increasing proportion of these refugees are survivors of torture. Many of these suffer physical as well as psychological sequelae to torture. In trying to evaluate the torture claims of the refugees, it is important for the physician to learn about types of torture and to look for symptoms. After positional torture, in which the victims are suspended by their wrists which are tied behind their back (Palestinian hanging), severe lasting nerve, ligament, or tendon damage is seen. In this paper we present two cases of brachial plexus injury. Only sensory nerves were affected causing a neurogenic pain condition including dysaesthesia and neuralgia.