A Case of Hanging with Limited Specific Postmortem Brain Imaging

In Japan, the number of autopsies has steadily decreased. Therefore, postmortem imaging methods have positioned as valuable supplemental or complementary tools in autopsy procedures. We clinicians are increasingly faced with the need to infer cause of death from postmortem imaging findings. We report computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of a 41-year-old man who committed suicide by hanging. CT revealed fractures of the left superior horn of the thyroid cartilage. Head MRI showed high signal intensity in the basal ganglia on the T₁-weighted image and high-intensity rims along the cerebral cortex on the diffusion-weighted image; however, these were considered normal postmortem changes. There were no significant findings in the heart, major blood vessels, or abdominal organs. The contents of the stomach were minimal, and no tablets or other evidence suggestive of drug overdose were identified. Traumatic changes were not observed. Based on the scene and his circumstances, it was speculated that he died by hanging and an autopsy was not performed. This case highlights the importance of understanding normal postmortem brain imaging changes to estimate the true cause of death.