Radiology Coding Alert

Question: A patient came into our radiology practice after suffering injuries to the face in a fistfight. According to the radiologist’s report, the radiologist captured “complete X-rays of the patient’s facial bones.”

Could you please explain the difference between 70140 and 70150?

Montana Subscriber

Answer: Both 70140 (Radiologic examination, facial bones; less than 3 views) and 70150 (… complete, minimum of 3 views) are X-rays of the patient’s facial bones. The primary difference between the two codes involves the number of views captured. Code 70140 requires less than three different views of the facial bones to assess for injuries, while 70150 involves at least three different views.

The common views associated with 70140-70150 include posteroanterior (PA) and lateral views. The radiologist may use a Waters view, or occipitomental view, to view the occiput (back of the head). The Waters view is captured at a slight upward angle starting from the chin.

In addition to assessing for fractures, a radiologist will use facial bone X-rays to check for other abnormalities and sinusitis.