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Primary Care Coding Alert

READER QUESTION:

Consider Size for Benign Lesion Excision

Published on Mon Jan 01, 2007

Question: Which ICD-9 code should I report if the doctor documented -benign cyst: anterior chest,- and which CPT code should we report for the cyst removal?


Missouri Subscriber


Answer: You should select 706.2 (Sebaceous cyst) as your diagnosis code for this type of cyst. If the physician excised the whole cyst, you can use a code from the 11400-11406 range, based on the size of the cyst.

For example, if the physician excised a 1.6-cm anterior chest cyst, you would report 11402 (Excision, benign lesion including margins, except skin tag [unless listed elsewhere], trunk, arms or legs; excised diameter 1.1 to 2.0 cm).

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