Radiology Coding Alert

Hint: You’ll find the answers in previous Radiology Coding Alert issues

Summer school’s in session and it’s time to test your knowledge of radiology coding -- from ablation to x-rays.
 
Determine your answers then turn to page 62 for the solutions.

Rate Your Radiopharmaceutical Coding Skills

Question 1: Your physician documents using 15 millicuries of technetium mebrofenin. Which of the following should you report?

 A. 15 units of A9513 (Supply of radiopharmaceutical diagnostic imaging agent, technetium Tc-99m mebrofenin, per mci)
 B. 1 unit of A9537 (Technetium Tc-99m mebrofenin, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 15 millicuries)

Bone Up on Balloon Angioplasty

Question 2: A patient presents with a type I endoleak 11 months after endovascular repair of a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. The physician deploys a proximal endovascular extension. As part of the procedure, the physician guides a balloon through the pelvis, abdominal, and descending thoracic aorta and into the new component. The physician inflates the balloon to seat the component and check for leaks. Can you report the balloon angioplasty separately from the proximal extension prosthesis placement?

Determine the Proper Renal Dx Code

Question 3: What diagnosis codes should you report when your physician documents a renal mass, renal cancer, or benign renal neoplasm?

Handle Hip MRIs

Question 4: What CPT code describes an MRI of the left hip without contrast material?

Set Your Sights on a Specimen Code

Question 5: Your radiologist performs a biopsy using a rotating needle, vacuum-assisted device (such as ABBI or Mammotome) and then x-rays the specimen to ensure that the sample contains all of the questionable tissue (such as microcalcifications). What CPT code should you use to report the specimen x-ray?

Assign Proper Ablation Codes

Question 6: Your radiologist treats two veins in the same leg using endovenous radiofrequency ablation through two separate access sites. Which CPT Codes describe this procedure?