Radiology Coding Alert

Pair ‘cerebral’ and ‘cervical’ with the proper terms.

Many of the codes in the 36221-+36228 angiography range refer to intracranial and extracranial carotid vessels.

The following definitions were presented at the CPT® and RBRVS 2013 Annual Symposium by Sean P. Roddy, MD, FACS, of the Society for Vascular Surgery and an AMA CPT® Advisory Committee member, in the "Vascular Surgery and Interventional Radiology" presentation:

• Intracranial carotid is also known as cerebral carotid. The term refers to vasculature inside the cranium (skull).
• Extracranial carotid is also known as cervical carotid. The term refers to vasculature outside the cranium, extending from the aortic arch to the skull base.