Wiki FNA breast or thyroid vs. percutaneous needle biopsies

[kdietsch85]

I am having a lot of trouble choosing which code would be appropriate for what the doctors indicate as "FNA breast mass" and a "fine needle aspiration of the thyroid". When I look @ the lab results both are under cytology, which steers me towards 10021 or 10022. I am being told by a co-worker to use 19100-19103 for the breast and 60100 for the thyroid, I just don't think this is right. Can someone help me learn the correct way of processing this? I am torn on what to choose and my doctor's do these quite often.
My understanding was that the percutaneous the doctor makes a small knick in the skin before inserting the needle but the small knick isn't required in order to choose that code.

PLEASE HELP ME!

 

[johnmeyer]

Hope this helps

I'd use 10021 for the NFA breast mass because if you look under 19100 in the CPT book, there's a note that says, "for fine needle aspiration, use 10021."

I'd use 10021 or 10022 for the fine needle aspiration of the thyroid because if you look under 60100 in the CPT book, there's a note that says, "for fine needle aspiration, use 10021 or 10022."

If your co-worker continues to gives you any guff.... I'd remind your co-worker that fine needle aspiration (FNA) represents the withdrawal of fluid for testing as compared to percutaneous core needle (19100 and 60100) which is used to obtain a solid tissue sample for testing.