Wiki FNA of breast or thyroid vs. percutaneous needle biopy

[kdietsch85]

I am having a lot of trouble choosing which code would be appropriate for what the doctors indicate as "FNA breast mass" and a "fine needle aspiration of the thyroid". When I look @ the lab results both are under cytology, which steers me towards 10021 or 10022. I am being told by a co-worker to use 19100-19103 for the breast and 60100 for the thyroid, I just don't think this is right. Can someone help me learn the correct way of processing this? I am torn on what to choose and my doctor's do these quite often.
My understanding was that the percutaneous the doctor makes a small knick in the skin before inserting the needle but the small knick isn't required in order to choose that code.

PLEASE HELP ME!

 

[Ginger Carter]

Gigi

If the aspiration is biopsy, use 19100 for breast and 60100 for thyroid. If no biopsy is sent for pathology-just aspirated-use 10021.

 

[ajs]

I am having a lot of trouble choosing which code would be appropriate for what the doctors indicate as "FNA breast mass" and a "fine needle aspiration of the thyroid". When I look @ the lab results both are under cytology, which steers me towards 10021 or 10022. I am being told by a co-worker to use 19100-19103 for the breast and 60100 for the thyroid, I just don't think this is right. Can someone help me learn the correct way of processing this? I am torn on what to choose and my doctor's do these quite often.
My understanding was that the percutaneous the doctor makes a small knick in the skin before inserting the needle but the small knick isn't required in order to choose that code.

PLEASE HELP ME!

For the "Fine Needle Aspiration of the Breast Cyst" it is 19000 regardless of whether anything is sent to path or not. If it is a biopsy you would use 19100. Under the 60100 code for the Thyroid it states "For Fine Needle Aspiration use 10021 or 10022".

 

[donnajrichmond]

I am having a lot of trouble choosing which code would be appropriate for what the doctors indicate as "FNA breast mass" and a "fine needle aspiration of the thyroid". When I look @ the lab results both are under cytology, which steers me towards 10021 or 10022. I am being told by a co-worker to use 19100-19103 for the breast and 60100 for the thyroid, I just don't think this is right. Can someone help me learn the correct way of processing this? I am torn on what to choose and my doctor's do these quite often.
My understanding was that the percutaneous the doctor makes a small knick in the skin before inserting the needle but the small knick isn't required in order to choose that code.

PLEASE HELP ME!

"FNA breast mass" would be coded 10021 (if no guidance used) or 10022 + modality specific guidance if guidance is used (76942, 77002, 77012, 77021)
If this had been aspiration of a breast cyst, then 19000 would have been coded. 19100, 19102, and 19103 are needle core biopsies, not aspiration biopsies. 19103 requires the use of a rotating device or vacuum assisted device.

"Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid" is also coded 10021 or 10022. 60100 is a core biopsy of the thyroid.

Both core and aspiration biopsies are done with a needle, but what is obtained is different - core of tissue vs. fluid or cells being aspirated. Material aspirated is usually sent to cytology, while core tissue obtained is usually sent to histology. 10021 and 10022 can also be used for aspiration without sending to lab if there is no body area specific aspiration code.