Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Busting the polyps' "s" myth and identifying separately billable nasal specimens could add hundreds of dollars to a pathology claim.

Last month you learned the ropes with Pathology/Lab Coding Alert's "Employ 5 Tips to Identify Proper Nasal Specimen Codes." This month make sure you're not falling into two common coding traps by trying your hand at these two questions; then checking your answers opposite.

Question 1: The lab receives the following tissue individually labeled by the surgeon: right septum polyp, left septum polyp, and left lateral nasal polyp. The pathologist microscopically examines representative portions of tissue from each sample and individually reports each specimen as "nasal polyps." How should you code the case?

Question 2: The pathologist receives tissue in one container labeled "sinus contents and turbinates" for a patient with a clinical diagnosis of chronic sinusitis. The material consists of two strips of mucosal lining, bits of cartilage, and bony tissue that's grossly consistent with turbinates. The gross description mentions decalcification of the bony material prior to embedding. The pathologist returns a microscopic diagnosis of "nasal mucocele cyst."

What are the CPT and ICD-9 codes for this case?