ICD 10 Coding Alert

Question: What is the difference between a developmental disorder of the jaws and an inflammatory condition of the jaws? Is there any way to tell the difference in the notes, other than an explicit note stating that the patient suffers from one of these conditions?

Utah Subscriber

Answer: One of these conditions is congenital, while the other is caused by external forces.

Developmental disorders of the jaws are present when a patient has malformations in the upper and lower jaw bones; this can also include bone depressions and protrusions.

ICD-10 coding: You’ll report developmental jaw disorders with M27.0 (Developmental disorders of jaws).

Key terms: Developmental jaw disorders go by several terms, all of which are coded to M27.0. If your provider lists one of the following conditions, you’ll choose M27.0:

• Latent bone cyst of jaw,
• Stafne cyst,
• Torus mandibularis, and
• Torus palatinus.

Inflammatory conditions of the jaws can happen when a patient is injured, has surgery, or an infection.

ICD-10 coding: You’ll report inflammatory conditions of the jaws with M27.2 (Inflammatory conditions of jaws).

Key terms: Inflammatory conditions of the jaws also go by several names. If your provider lists one of the following conditions, you’ll choose M27.2:

• Osteitis of jaw(s),
• Osteomyelitis (neonatal) jaw(s),
• Osteoradionecrosis jaw(s),
• Periostitis jaw(s), and
• Sequestrum of jaw bone.

When reporting M27.2, ICD-10 instructs you to “Use additional code (W88-W90, X39.0) to identify radiation, if radiation-induced.”