Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: A neurologist entered an "anterior interosseous syndrome or focal nerve entrapment," but I can't find a code for either of these. How should I code for this? Illinois Subscriber Answer: A good choice for coding this condition is 354.1 (Other lesion of median nerve). You should use "other" codes -- also called "other specified" -- when ICD-9 doesn't offer a specific code for the information the medical record provides. Lesson: You code entries like these as "other" because they represent specific disease entities that no specific code exists for. "Other" codes usually have an "8" in the fourth digit or a "9" in the fifth. Index entries for these codes may include the acronym "NEC" (not elsewhere classified). The condition: The anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) is a purely motor nerve branch from the median nerve. Compression syndrome is rare and can be identified by following signs and symptoms: vague discomfort in the proximal forearm, paresthesias and numbness. Excessive supination or pronation, as seen in baseball pitchers or hockey and lacrosse players, seems to aggravate the AIN.