Urology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Consult Urologist on Lesion Type

Question: Which code should I report when my urologist documents that he removed a penile lesion? I was looking at 11424 or 54060, but both state “excision” so I am not sure which is correct. 

Maine Subscriber

Answer:  The answer depends on the type of “lesion” your urologist is removing.

Option 1: For the removal of penile lesions, such as condyloma, papilloma, molluscum contagiosum, or herpetic vesicles, you should choose a code in the 54050-54065 (Destruction of lesion[s], penis [eg, condyloma, papilloma, molluscum contagiosum, herpetic vesicle] ...) range, depending on the excision method. 

Option 2: For other skin lesions, such as sebaceous cysts, epidermal cysts, benign lesions, or other skin lesions, you should instead report a code from the 11420-11426 (Excision, benign lesion including margins, except skin tag (unless listed elsewhere), scalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia ...) range, based on lesion size, including the size of margins removed. 

Key: Refer to the details of the urologist’s documentation. Your physician should be able to tell you the type of lesions he removed, the method of removal, and the size of the margins excised. 


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