Radiology Coding Alert

Question: I have a report for an abdominal ultrasound where the provider imaged and documented the spleen, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, liver, and gallbladder. I’m new to radiology coding and I’m unsure of how many quadrants the provider is required to image for a complete ultrasound examination.>

Could you help me select the correct code for this procedure?>

Kansas Subscriber

Answer: For your situation, you’ll report 76705 (Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; limited (eg, single organ, quadrant, follow-up)) for a limited abdominal ultrasound. Because 76705’s descriptor includes the word “quadrant,” this makes it a limited abdominal ultrasound.

To report a complete abdominal ultrasound with 76700 (… complete), the provider needs to image and document nine individual body structures, including:

• Liver
• Gallbladder
• Common bile duct
• Pancreas
• Spleen
• Left and right kidneys
• Upper abdominal aorta
• Inferior vena cava

The report you referenced includes documentation for only the spleen, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, liver, and gallbladder, which makes 76705 the correct code for this abdominal ultrasound examination.