Internal Medicine Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Select Between Codes 782.9 and 705.89 for Body Odor

Published on Tue Jun 14, 2011

Question: A mother brought her 6-year-old daughter to our office because she was concerned about the daughter's body odor. She follows good hygiene. The physician assistant thought it might be thyroid related so wants to send the child for lab work. What diagnosis should we report?

South Carolina Subscriber

Answer: ICD-9 doesn't have a specific diagnosis for body odor. Your closest options are 782.9 (Other symptoms involving skin and integumentary tissues) or 705.89 (Unspecified disorder of sweat glands).

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