Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Heads up: You’ll have more specific choices for Schilder’s disease.

Getting a head start on learning ICD-10 changes for some diseases can be challenging, but not when you’re looking at multiple sclerosis or a few similar conditions.

MS Gets a One-to-One Crossover

Under ICD-9, you currently submit one of the few valid three-digit diagnosis codes, 340 (Multiple sclerosis) for patients with multiple sclerosis. The corresponding ICD-10 code is just as simple: again a single three-digit choice of G35 (Multiple sclerosis). Both diagnosis codes apply to multiple sclerosis of the brain stem or spinal cord, generalized multiple sclerosis, and non-specified conditions.

Differentiate By Type for Sclerosis

Schilder’s disease is a progressive demyelinating disorder which usually begins in childhood. When coding for these patients, you report ICD-9 code 341.1 (Schilder’s disease) whether your physician diagnoses concentric or diffuse sclerosis in the central nervous system.

ICD-10 change: You’ll have codes specific to each condition when ICD-10 becomes effective on Oct. 1, 2014. For diffuse sclerosis, you’ll report code G37.0 (Diffuse sclerosis of central nervous system) and for concentric sclerosis you report code G37.5 (Concentric sclerosis [Balo] of central nervous system).