General Surgery Coding Alert
Focus Cyst Coding with These Tips
Question: What is the correct diagnosis code for a sebaceous cyst of the hip/pelvic region, deep in the gluteal cleft?
Codify Subscriber
Answer: Regardless of the location, the correct code for sebaceous cyst is 706.2 (Sebaceous cyst). The same code applies to the diagnosis of an atheroma of skin, keratin cyst, or wen. The ICD-10-CM option is L72.3 (Sebaceous cyst).
Don’t confuse other cysts: ICD-9 and ICD-10 provide different codes for common hair-follicle cysts — 704.41 or L72.11 (Pilar cyst) and 704.42 or L72.12 (Trichilemmal cyst). Pilar cysts are often confused with sebaceous cysts despite having distinct characteristics, such as dekeratinizing epithelium associated with a hair follicle. Unlike sebaceous cysts, pilar cysts don’t have a granular layer.
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