Multiple Myeloma ICD 10 Code

Refresher: What are ICD-10 codes?

The International Classification of Diseases is a coding system used by healthcare in conjunction with hospital care throughout the United States. The coding system is in its 10th revision, hence the term ICD-10. Much like its predecessor, the ICD-9, ICD-10 is based on the International Classification of Disease published by the World Health Organization (WHO), which uses specific studies to identify diseases and health problems [1]

The ICD-10 coding system is copyrighted by the WHO. All modifications made to the ICD-10 are required to conform to WHO conventions.

The adoption of ICD-10 allows physicians and healthcare providers to retrieve diagnostic information. ICD records are also used to help compile national mortality and morbidity statistics. Furthermore, all HIPAA-covered entities in the US are required to adhere to ICD-10-CM codes, as required by the US Department of Health and Human Sciences.

It is worth noting that there is no difference between ICD-10 and ICD-10-CM codes since they refer to the same set of diagnostic codes for use in hospitals throughout the United States. However, ICD-10 PCS contains a different set of codes that is used for hospital inpatient environments.

The coding structure of ICD-10 requires the first character to be an alpha character (excluding the letter u). The second and third characters are numeric, and the following characters (four through seven) may be alphanumeric in nature. There are more than 68,000 codes in the ICD-10 system, compared to 13,000 ICD-9-CM codes, making the former more comprehensive.

At the time of writing, physicians in the US are required to use codes C00 through D49 for identifying neoplasms as listed below:

  • Malignant neoplasms are coded using C00 through C97
  • In situ neoplasms are coded using D00 through D09
  • Benign neoplasms are coded using D10 through D36
  • Neoplasms of unknown or uncertain behavior are coded using D37 through D49

It is also worth noting the terms cancer and neoplasm are not the same even though they are often used interchangeably. Neoplasms may be cancerous or noncancerous. Moreover, the ICD-10 codes for malignant neoplasms (primary cancers) and secondary malignant neoplasms (metastatic cancer) are different.

ICD-10 codes are designed to reveal more information about patients with accurate diagnostics, allowing for improved care outcomes. The revised coding system incorporated more specificity and clinical detail to provide more information about clinical decision-making and outcomes research.

A major challenge of ICD-10 coding systems is that healthcare providers are required to be adequately trained on how to use the code, which can result in significant expenditure of capital on health IT resources. Physicians can misclassify codes and misbill the patient if they fail to consider all aspects of the patient’s visit.

In most cases, ICD-10 uses a separate coding system for primary tumors (malignant neoplasms) and secondary tumors (secondary malignant neoplasms). Secondary cancer refers to cancer that has spread from its origin to a different part of the body.

This is because cancer cells have been known to break away from the primary cancer site and grow in another body area. The ICD-10 coding system takes into account the origins of cancer to help with the diagnostics and treatment of the disease.

What is the ICD 10 code for Multiple Myeloma?

For primary Multiple Myeloma tumors, the general ICD-10 code is C90 (multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms). Various synonyms may be used in identifying the correct diagnosis code for multiple myeloma, these include:

  • AL amyloidosis (this is the most common type of amyloidosis that is characterized by the monoclonal deposition of immunoglobulin light chain fragments in tissues and organs)
  • Amyloid light chain amyloidosis due to multiple myeloma
  • Hypogammaglobulinemia
  • Hypogammaglobulinemia due to multiple myeloma
  • IgA myeloma
  • IgG myeloma
  • Immunoglobulin D myeloma
  • Immunoglobulin G deficiency
  • Immunoglobulin G deficiency due to multiple myeloma
  • Kappa light chain myeloma
  • Lambda light chain myeloma
  • Light chain disease
  • Light chain myeloma
  • Light chain nephropathy
  • Light chain nephropathy due to multiple myeloma
  • Monoclonal free kappa light chain present
  • Monoclonal free lambda light chain present
  • Monoclonal free light chain present
  • Monoclonal IgA present
  • Monoclonal IgD present
  • Monoclonal IgG present
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Myeloma kidney
  • Myeloma-associated amyloidosis
  • Myeloma-associated amyloidosis
  • Neuropathy associated with dysproteinemias
  • Neuropathy due to multiple myeloma
  • Non-secretory myeloma
  • Osteoporosis co-occurrent and due to multiple myeloma
  • Osteosclerotic myeloma
  • Paraneoplastic neuropathy
  • Paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy
  • Renal involvement in malignant disease
  • Renal involvement in malignant disease

Primary Multiple Myeloma ICD 10 code: C90

Primary Multiple Myeloma ICD code C90 lookup

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects the plasma cells that generate antibodies in the body. In patients with multiple myeloma, the plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow, disrupting the production of normal blood cells. Some cases of multiple myeloma also feature the production of an abnormal antibody known as paraprotein, which can cause problems in the kidney.

Depending on the prognosis of multiple myeloma, patients may also encounter bone lesions and hypercalcemia (the presence of excessive amounts of calcium in the blood). The three most common types of multiple myeloma cancers include plasma cell leukemia, solitary plasmacytoma, and extramedullary plasmacytoma.

The exact cause of multiple myeloma is unknown, however, it is more common in older patients. It may also be genetic, and family history has been identified as a risk factor for multiple myeloma, with first-degree relatives of people with multiple myeloma being 2 to 3 times as likely to develop the disease.

Some of the most common symptoms of multiple myeloma include:

  • Weight loss
  • Getting too many infections
  • Feeling thirsty
  • Feeling the urge to urinate very often
  • Always feeling fatigued
  • Excessive bone pain, especially in the back or ribs

Below is a table of the ICD 10 Multiple Myeloma codes for primary Multiple Myeloma cancers, which are classified under C90, “multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms.” [1]

C90: Multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms

ICD 10 Multiple Myeloma

Types of Multiple Myeloma coded under C90

The ICD 10 code C90 does not specify the subtype of Multiple Myeloma cancer. A C90 code can be used for Multiple Myeloma cancers of various types, as discussed below [2]:

  • Extramedullary plasmacytoma
  • Solitary plasmacytoma
  • Solitary plasmacytoma in remission
  • Plasma cell leukemia
  • Plasma cell leukemia in relapse
  • Multiple myeloma in remission
  • Multiple myeloma in relapse

In other words, multiple myeloma ICD 10, solitary plasmacytoma ICD 10, and plasma cell leukemia ICD 10 codes could all be C90.00 if they are determined to be primary malignant neoplasm of plasma cells. As a concrete example, a patient diagnosed with solitary plasmacytoma would be coded with C90.30.

Note that C90 is a non-specific code, and more digits are needed to indicate the level of specificity. In other words, C90 may not be used for billable purposes. More specific codes, such as C90.00 or C90.32, are required to achieve a higher level of specificity.

Multiple Myeloma cancers excluded from ICD-10 C90

Patients with a history of other malignant neoplasms of hematopoietic, lymphoid, and related tissues are excluded from ICD-10 C90. Such patients are usually coded under Z85.79 [3].

Conclusion

So, there you have it, an in-depth look at ICD-10 codes for multiple myeloma. No two cancers are the same, and doctors must be able to properly diagnose the cancer accurately. A limitation of ICD-10 codes is that they are so specific that failure to note all aspects of a patient visit could result in the improper implementation of the code.

Studies have shown that many physicians have struggled with consistency in ICD-10 codes [4]. Any changes to ICD-10 codes can result in an increase or decrease in reimbursements because of the consistency in the implementation of the coding system. This revised system contains five times the diagnosis codes compared to its predecessor, so it may not be possible for physicians to keep up with every single ICD-10 code.

Note that this information is not meant for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional advice from a healthcare professional. For more information, please refer to your doctor for health-related questions, including the ICD diagnosis codes mentioned here.