Dermatology Coding Alert

Published on Tue Jun 28, 2016 PDF

Question: What would the correct ICD-10 code be for a diagnosis of cherry angioma?

Wyoming Subscriber

Answer: In ICD-10, the hemangioma diagnosis codes are distinct by anatomical site:

• D18.00 – Hemangioma of unspecified site
• D18.01 – … of skin and subcutaneous tissue
• D18.02 – … of intracranial structures
• D18.03 – … of intra-abdominal structures
• D18.04 – … of other sites.

In a dermatology setting, you’d be most likely to encounter D18.01.

What is it? A cherry hemangioma is made up of clusters of capillaries at the surface of the skin, forming a small round dome-like shape. They can range in color from bright red to purple.