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Radiology Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Lock on to This Lip US Code

Published on Sun Jun 18, 2006

Question: What CPT code should we report if the radiologist performs an ultrasound soft-tissue lip? Is it CPT 76999 ?

New York Subscriber

Answer: The appropriate code is CPT 76536 (Ultrasound, soft tissues of head and neck [e.g., thyroid, parathyroid, parotid], B-scan, and/or real time with image documentation).
 
Code 76536 describes a B-scan ultrasound of the soft tissues of the head and neck. A B-scan is a "two-dimensional ultrasonic scanning procedure with a two-dimensional display," according to CPT.
 
This code can be used for exam of any soft-tissue structure in the head and neck that's suitable for examination by ultrasound, so you don't need to resort to 76999 (Unlisted ultrasound procedure [e.g., diagnostic, interventional]) for the lip exam.

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