Urology Coding Alert

Question: A patient was treated in our office for a scrotal abscess. The surgeon incised an intra- scrotal wall abscess, drained a few CCs of purulent material, and irrigated the cavity with sterile water. Would it be better to report this with 10060 or 54700 or 55100?

Iowa Subscriber

Answer: If you search for “Abscess, Scrotum” in the CPT^® index, you are initially directed to 54700 (Incision and drainage of epididymis, testis and/or scrotal space [e.g., abscess or hematoma]) and 55100 (Drainage of scrotal wall abscess). Check the documentation to verify whether the abscess was in the scrotal wall or within the scrotal cavity. If the abscess is limited or involves only the scrotal wall, report 55100 – which seems a more likely choice since 54700 refers to the internal structures of the scrotum.

Remember: Code 54700 will only be paid when performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center, ASC.  Code 55100 will be paid when performed in the office, a hospital, or in an ambulatory surgical center. Report incision and drainage of scrotal abscesses with 54700 and 55100 as these procedural codes are more specific and diagnostic than code 10060 (Incision and drainage of abscess [e.g., carbuncle, suppurative hidradenitis, cutaneous or subcutaneous abscess, cyst, furuncle, or paronychial]; simple or single).