Subdural hemorrhage in hanging deaths: a retrospective case–control study

Abstract Head trauma is the primary cause of subdural hemorrhage; however, additional explanations should also be taken into account. One circumstance that requires thorough examination for subdural hemorrhage is hanging, as in Saudi Arabia, hanging accounted for the bulk of suicide cases. A retrospective case–control research was conducted to compare the presence of subdural hemorrhage in hanging fatalities and other causes of death from August 2016 to October 2020 at the Dammam Forensic Medicine Center. Eighty-seven percent of the cases were males, mostly between the ages of 20 and 50. In 21% of the total cases, subdural hemorrhage was found. It was present in 21% of deaths by hanging and in 16% of deaths by other means. Neither the cause of death, the location of the hypostasis, the post-mortem period, nor the deceased’s age were significantly correlated with the subdural hemorrhage’s presence. Subdural hemorrhage may be an innocent postmortem finding; however, this conclusion should only be made following a thorough examination to rule out any trauma in all cases.