Brain MRI Findings of Nitrogen Gas Inhalation for Suicide Attempt: a Case Report.
10.13104/imri.2017.21.4.264
- Author:
Young Eun KIM
1
;
Donghoon LEE
;
Minji KIM
;
Hokyoung HWANG
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. jnoon276@gmail.com
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Nitrogen;
Suicide;
Magnetic resonance imaging
- MeSH:
Adult;
Basal Ganglia;
Brain*;
Diffusion;
Frontal Lobe;
Humans;
Inhalation*;
Korea;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*;
Male;
Methods;
Nitrogen*;
Occipital Lobe;
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development;
Suicide*;
Suicide, Attempted
- From:Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
2017;21(4):264-268
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
South Korea has the highest reported suicide rate among all countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless and nontoxic gas. Nitrogen gas has, however, been recently used as a method of attempted suicide, its nontoxity notwithstanding. We herein report on an unusual case involving a 30-year-old male who presented with symptoms after a suicide attempt by nitrogen inhalation. Diffusion-weighted imaging of his brain was showed curvilinear high signal intensity in the bilateral frontal and right occipital cortices, with subtle low apparent diffusion coefficient value. In addition, T2-weighted images and fluid attenuated inversion recovery images revealed subtle high signal intensity in the bilateral frontal cortices, basal ganglia and occipital cortices with contrast enhancement.
