Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: I’m new to podiatry, and I’m confused about what a tangential biopsy includes. Does it include both shaving and scooping?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: Yes. Your podiatrist can use several methods to perform a tangential biopsy including shaving, scooping, saucerizing, or curetting. Your podiatrist may use the tangential biopsy method to collect a tissue sample from a patient’s lesion and to perform a diagnostic pathologic examination. During this procedure, your podiatrist will remove a sample of the patient’s epidermal tissue either with or without sections of the underlying dermis. As you look through the medical documentation, you may see a flexible biopsy blade, an obliquely oriented scalpel, or a curette mentioned as tools your podiatrist used to perform the tangential biopsy.

For example, you read that your podiatrist used a flexible biopsy blade to shave a sample of the epidermal tissue of one lesion on the patient’s left foot. In this case, you should report code 11102 since your podiatrist only worked on one lesion.

Don’t miss: CPT^® does not consider a tangential biopsy an excision.