# skin lesion



## lindafay1123 (Oct 26, 2012)

Can anyone help me to code the following:

The patient comes in to the outpatient surgery department with a suspicious skin lesion involving the upper trunk area.  Lesion measures 1.8 cm and the margin required to adequately excise the lesion includes 0.2 cm from both sides.  Pathology is negative for cancer noting actinic keratosis.  which cpt code would I use and would I also use an e&m code.  also would the dx be the ctinic keratosis.  any help would be great. thanks.


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## salCCS (Oct 27, 2012)

11440-11446 - code range 


also would the dx be the ctinic keratosis- yes 



depending on how deep the surgeon went you might need to report the closure as well if layered closure.


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## ajbalducci (Oct 30, 2012)

Let me state that I do not have a position as a coder, but, if my memory is right, isn't trunk of the body in the 11400 - 11406.   just trying to keep up with it! please let me kmow if i am in the ballpark.


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## salCCS (Oct 30, 2012)

ajbalducci 
you are correct i was looking at the wrong system haha
good job


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## mitchellde (Oct 30, 2012)

lindafay1123 said:


> Can anyone help me to code the following:
> 
> The patient comes in to the outpatient surgery department with a suspicious skin lesion involving the upper trunk area.  Lesion measures 1.8 cm and the margin required to adequately excise the lesion includes 0.2 cm from both sides.  Pathology is negative for cancer noting actinic keratosis.  which cpt code would I use and would I also use an e&m code.  also would the dx be the ctinic keratosis.  any help would be great. thanks.


your excision size is 2.2 and it would be trunk , benign excision, I would use the V71.1 as the first listed dx (it only allowed as first listed) and the AK as a secondary.  This is how I always code these when the path report is anything but malignant, it is always well received by the payers.
You would not code an E&M if this were a scheduled procedure.


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