Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Take Dermoid-Cyst Removal at Face Value
Question: The internist assigned 11442 for the excision of a dermoid cyst on a patient's eyebrow. As I understand it, this code represents removing a dermoid from the nose. Is there a better code to use? California Subscriber Answer: Actually, code 11442 (Excision, other benign lesion including margins [unless listed elsewhere], face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, mucous membrane; excised diameter 1.1. to 2.0 cm) represents the removal of a 1.1-cm-to-2.0-cm benign lesion (including a dermoid cyst) from any portion of the patient's face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membrane. Therefore, 11442 would be the correct code for the removal of a dermoid cyst from the patient's eyebrow or nose. The measurement 1.1-2.0 cm includes the margins.
Internal Medicine Coding Alert
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