Liver Mass

It's 573.9. In the index go to mass, since liver isn't listed it says "specified organ NEC-see disease of specified organ or site" which is 573.9.
 
Liver mass

Good morning,

I just wanted to put my two-cents in on this one (from personal experience).

I always ask myself the question: Is the organ enlarged or is there a growth (mass,lesion, etc.) on that organ?

If you consider the thyroid as the organ in question, when the gland is enlarged, it is considered to be a "goiter". When there is a mass (lesion,nodule,tumor,etc.), then it is considered "nodular". If the pathology report comes back showing a malignancy, then it would code to malignant neoplasm.

To consider 789.1 as the code for a liver mass, you would want to see it written that the liver was enlarged and I therefore agree with 573.9 which, although vague in and of itself, speaks more towards the very uncertainty of what is ON that liver.

I hope I didn't muddy the waters...I'm real good at that sometimes.

Have a great day,

Joyce
 
Our facility uses 573.8, other specified disorders of liver.
Interestingly enough, ICD-10 has a specific code for liver mass and it is R16.0which codes out as hepatomegaly, which in ICD-9 is 789.1, so maybe 789.1 is the correct dx code after all. :confused:
 
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