Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
Look for Pathologic Fracture Detail in ICD-10
Question: When the pathologist diagnoses a pathologic fracture in the femur secondary to metastatic prostate cancer, how will we code the condition under ICD-10?
Michigan Subscriber
Answer: Using ICD-10, the correct code for the secondary malignancy is C79.51 (Secondary malignant neoplasm of bone). You should also report the current prostate cancer, or if not current, the history of prostate cancer, using either C61 (Malignant neoplasm of prostate) or Z85.46 (Personal history of malignant neoplasm of prostate).
To report the actual fracture, you need information about the encounter and treatment status of the fracture. For instance the treating physician might report M84.551D (Pathological fracture in neoplastic disease, right femur; subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing) or one of many similar codes depending on which femur, which encounter, and what sort of treatment is involved. The pathologist could report this information only if made available from the treating physician.
Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
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