Radiology Coding Alert

Question: For a patient diagnosed with soft tissue disorder related to overuse, our radiologist provided imaging guidance for trigger point injections. What codes can we report for this service?

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Answer: You’ll need to check details of the imaging guidance. Depending upon the type of imaging guidance used, you can choose from three codes, i.e. 76942 (Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement [e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device], imaging supervision and interpretation), 77002 (Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement [e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device]), and 77021 (Magnetic resonance guidance for needle placement [e.g., for biopsy, needle aspiration, injection, or placement of localization device] radiological supervision and interpretation) for ultrasonic, fluoroscopic, and MRI guidance, respectively.

Diagnosis code: For pain in shoulder due to overuse, you can submit ICD-10 code M70.911 (Unspecified soft tissue disorder related to use, overuse and pressure, right shoulder).