Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Tip: An endometrial cyst is also known as a chocolate cyst

Next time your pathology report describes an ovarian cyst, don't be left holding the ICD-9 code bag. The chart on the next page will show you which ICD-9 code you should report every time.

Keep in mind: You should always code to the highest specification possible, so -when in doubt about what type of cyst you have, either refer to the ob-gyn for guidance or wait for the pathology report,- says Donna Kroening, CPC, reimbursement manager for the ob-gyn department at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

FYI: You can have combination cysts, such as hemorrhagic corpus luteum, says Jeffrey Itkin, MD, FACOG, a former member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Coding and Nomenclature Committee. In that circumstance, you should code for both types (620.0 and 620.1).

* This chart was reviewed by Itkin and Janet Osborne, MD, assistant professor and division chief of gynecologic oncology, department obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.