Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: I have an obstetric patient who has had a previous Turner's baby. What is this, and should I include this as a diagnosis for her?

Indiana Subscriber

Answer: If the patient is pregnant, you should not report the code for Turner's syndrome (758.6, Gonadal dysgenesis) because this would indicate that the mother has the condition. If she has a history of this condition and is now pregnant, you should use V23.89 (Other high-risk pregnancy). If the ob-gyn suspects that there may be a problem with the fetus and performs testing to determine its exact nature, you would code 655.1x (Chromosomal abnormality in fetus).
 
Turner's syndrome is a chromosomal disorder in females characterized by short stature and lack of sexual development at puberty. These women may also have webbed necks, heart defects, and kidney abnormalities, among other malformations. Although researchers aren't sure of the exact cause of Turner's syndrome, they believe that it may result from an error during the division of a parent's sex cells.