Coroner's Finding: CREEPER Lindy Jayne

54y · Female·malignant melanoma with brain metastases

A 54-year-old woman with metastatic melanoma died from brain metastases while detained under a Mental Health Act order at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. She had undergone surgery and radiotherapy for melanoma that had spread to lymph nodes. During radiotherapy, she developed confusion and agitation due to intracranial metastases. She was detained under an Inpatient Treatment Order to facilitate investigation and treatment of her worsening neurological condition. Despite medical optimization with steroids to reduce cerebral edema, her agitation prevented effective treatment. The coroner found the care appropriate and the detention necessary. Key lesson: advanced malignant disease with brain involvement may present with behavioural disturbance requiring involuntary detention to enable medical assessment and management.