Check detailed codes for side specificity.
If you’re in a neuro-ophthalmology practices, the last two months may have already made you familiar with the new diagnosis codes for disorders of optic chiasm and other visual pathway disorders, which took effect Oct. 1, 2015.
As coders have seen, many of the ICD-10 codes specify which eye is affected – but since there is only one optic chiasm (the part of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross), bilaterality does not play a role in the new diagnosis codes.
However, the disorder of visual pathway does require codes to specify left or right side – of the brain. Read on for details on coding for these disorders.
Disorders of Optic Chiasm
Disorders of Visual Pathways
Cortical Blindness
Unspecified Visual Pathway Disorder
Resource: For more information on the ICD-10 conversion, as well as specific ICD-9 to ICD-10 code bridges, visit https://www.aapc.com/codes/.