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Wiki Punch biopsy

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bjrepar

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If a provider documents that they used a punch biopsy and removed 4 lesions and only 3 were sent for path, how would you code the other lesion that the provider is calling an SK.
 
If the punch was to remove the nevus/lesion and assuming that the punch almost always goes through the full thickness of the dermis into the fat - then you would select a 114xx since it was an SK

If you only took a sample to determine what it was - then refer to 11100
 
If the punch removed the entire lesion, then it is not a biopsy. A punch is designed to go full thickness so it is an excision. An excision cannot be coded without a path report since the only options are malignant or benign excision codes, and you are not to assume.
If it is a removal of only a piece of a lesion then it is a biopsy and you may use skin lesion for the dx code. If you look under lesion, then skin it will lead you to L98.9
 
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