Asphyxia

Asphyxia is a common and important subject in the daily forensic practice. It is defined as a lack of oxygen supply to the brain that can lead to cerebral hypoxic and ischemic lesions as to death. The origin of asphyxia can be multiple, and several classifications have been proposed. The forensic physician can use imaging to explore and manage cases of asphyxia, in addition to a complete forensic autopsy or clinical evaluation (in survived victims). Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is the method of choice to detect skeletal lesion, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for the evaluation of soft tissue. However, the gold standard in cases of asphyxia remains the autopsy and the clinical examination of living victims. In this chapter, we focus on the advantages and limitations of forensic imaging in different types of asphyxia, namely, strangulation, hanging, drowning, obstruction of the airways, and thoracic compression.