Survival of a victim of Isadora Duncan syndrome: A case report

Abstract

Incidents of accidental strangulation by uncovered (open-spoked) wheels of vehicles are not uncommon but survival following such incidents is quite a rare phenomenon. The possibility of death from strangulation by a scarf getting caught in the wheel spokes of a vehicle was brought to the public's attention when the world famous dancer Isadora Duncan died on 14 September 1929. Cycle-powered rickshaws, bicycles and bullock-carts remain common forms of transport in India. However, the uncovered spokes of the vehicle wheel can trap the dupatta/chunni/odhani (long scarf worn around neck) worn by Indian women. A number of cases of fatal accidental strangulation have been described by different authors involving vehicles like cycle-powered rickshaws, bicycles and bullock-carts, with very few cases of reported survivors. Here we report a case of accidental strangulation involving a young girl with the dupatta getting caught in moving wheel of a bullock-cart, in which the victim survived in spite of severe injury to neck structures.

Six-year follow-up of a survivor of cervical spine fracture and dislocation with oesophageal perforation following long scarf syndrome - a case report and literature review

“…Accidental strangulation due to clothes worn around the neck getting caught in the wheels of a vehicle or moving machine has been documented, which is associated with high mortality [2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…Accidental strangulation due to scarf getting entangled in the wheels of a vehicle or moving machine has been reported previously [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Accidents resulting from this mechanism of injury are called "Isadora Duncan Syndrome" or "Long Scarf".…”

Asphyxia using a piece of a sarong at a psychiatric unit: a case of self-strangulation

“…Z piśmiennictwa wynika, że samozadzierzgnięcie nie jest niemożliwe i bywa mylone z zabójstwem [4,15]. Do przypadkowego zadzierzgnięcia może dojść podczas czynności seksualnych [16,17] lub u dzieci [18][19][20], a niekiedy także u dorosłych [21][22][23][24][25][26]. Określenie sposobu śmierci w takich przypadkach jest złożonym zadaniem [5].…”

“…The literature indicates that self-strangulation is not impossible and may be confused with homicide [4,15]. However, accidental strangulation can take place during sexually motivated acts [16,17] or in children [18][19][20] and in some instances in adults [21][22][23][24][25][26]. However, determination of the manner of death in strangulation is a complex task [5].…”

Self‐Strangulation Through A Sphygmomanometer: An Uncommon Suicide

“…A thorough analysis of the literature reveals several cases of strangulation, mainly related to accidents or homicides. The most peculiar cases are as follows: deaths from life‐threatening sexual practices ; a case of a thief trapped between automatic sliding doors during a bungled attempt to enter a supermarket at night ; a victim of the well‐known Isadora Duncan syndrome (strangulation by a scarf caught in the spokes of a moving wheel of a vehicle) ; strangulation by a rope passed around the victim's wrists, ankles, and throat—as in the typical Mafia homicide called “incaprettamento” (hog‐tying) , and so on. Other studies describe uncommon methods of suicidal strangulation: A nylon rope around the neck and tied to the right ankle to prevent the rope from untying ; a walking stick utilized with a tourniquet effect ; cable ties fixed around the neck .…”