Coding Ovarian Mass not definitive for CA

[mouchjl]

Hi there,

My surgeon saw a new patient in the office for suspected ovarian cancer (as he puts it, he diagnosed ovarian CA from patient's radiology studies), but the patient has definitive ovarian masses.

I don't think it is apprpriate to code the ovarian cancer in this situation since we have no final path. So how would I code the ovarian mass?

Thanks, Jenn

[mitchellde]

After preliminary diagnostic study reveals the mass to be nothing else (like a cyst or abcess) and the provider is moving on to more definitive studies you can drop the code for mass and use a code from the 239.x category for neoplasm unspecified. Since there is no morphologic specification as to where it is benign or malignant.

[mcdiac]

I tend to go to the neoplasm table for these diagnoses.
For a benign ovarian mass I tend to use 220, but only after confirming w/a pathology report for procedures performed.
However,my suggestion for your case would be to look up the neoplasm table. I would suggest looking up ovary, then coding depending on malignancy 1o, 2o or CA in situ, benign, unc. behavior or unspecified.
Hope this helps.