A Study of Postmortem Findings of Asphxial Deaths Due to Hanging in a Semi Urban Region of Karnataka.

Hanging, a method of deliberate & intentional self-harm amounts for a major proportion of autopsies which medicolegal experts encounter in their clinical tenure at various hospitals pan India. A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore from Jan 2016 to June 2022, with an objective to study the post mortem findings in autopsy cases of hanging. Out of 306 autopsies, 14.38 % cases were that of hanging with a female to male ratio being 3:1. Most cases were atypical (81.81%,36) and partial hanging (72.72%, 32) with the ligature mark situated above the thyroid cartilage. 86.36 % of cases (38) had dried salivary stain at the angle of mouth and one case showed involuntary discharge. The incidence of fracture of hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage not observed in any cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]