A recent report on CT of the brain in hmlging prompted us to add an other case of hanging in which CT was performed. A 52-year old woman was resuscitated after attempted suicide by banging. Two hours later, on transfer to our hospital, she was comatose with fixed, dilated pupils. She was apnoeic, blood pressure was 70/40 mmHg, heart rate 140/min, temperature 34.5~ She was re ceiving artificial ventilation. The corneal reflex was absent, and doll's eye manoeuvre elicited no movement. All limbs were paralysed. On the second hospital day CT of the brain and an electroencephalogram (EEG) were performed. CT demonstrated diffuse swelling and bilateral symmetrical low-density areas in the lentiform nuclei and medial thalamus (Fig. 1). The EEG showed suppression burst patterns consistent with brain anoxia. She died a week later of cardiac arrest; autopsy was not performed. [5] and drowing [6]. C o m m o n findings are bilateral low density in the basal ganglia, which are known to be mos t sensitive to anoxia because of their large metabol ic demand and poor vascularization [7, 8]. A m o n g various factors opera t ing in hanging, compression of the carotid arteries and/or veins, obstruct ion of the airway and injuries to the vagus nerves, spine and spinal cord are mos t impor tan t [9], and in conjunct ion lead to anoxia of the brain. The CT studies repor ted by Bianco and Floris [10] showed low-densi ty areas in the globus pallidus on both sides in the terr i tory of the internal carot id arteries, while our pat ient had more extensive lesions including the thalamus, suggesting involvement of the vertebrobasi lar system.