Hyperkeratotic lesions are coded by the:

• A. The number of lesions removed
• B. The size of the largest lesion
• C. The location of lesions
• D. The patient age

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that destruction or removal of hyperkeratotic lesions is coded per lesion treated. In dermatology coding, the CPT guidelines generally assign a unit for each lesion destroyed or removed, so the total code depends on how many lesions were treated in that encounter. The size of the largest lesion, the location of the lesions, or the patient’s age do not drive the code in this scenario. Therefore, when multiple hyperkeratotic lesions are removed in one visit, you code for the quantity of lesions treated, not for their size, where they are, or the patient’s age.