ICD 10 Coding Alert

Question: What is the best diagnosis code for allodynia — and what, exactly, does it mean?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: Allodynia is characterized by the patient feeling pain caused by a stimulus that is not usually painful (such as light). Allodynia is covered by the more general term hyperesthesia, or an increased sensitivity.

Your diagnosis options are:

• R20.0 (Anesthesia of skin)
• R20.1 (Hypoesthesia of skin)
• R20.2 (Paresthesia of skin)
• R20.3 (Hyperesthesia)
• R20.8 (Other disturbances of skin sensation)
• R20.9 (Unspecified disturbances of skin sensation)

Note: Hyperalgesia is a condition sometimes tied to allodynia. Hyperalgesia is an increased response to a stimulus that normally is somewhat painful to begin with (such as a pin prick). You report hyperalgesia with diagnosis R20.8.