Sebaceous Cyst Removal

Question:

We had a patient with a 3.5 cm sebaceous cyst removed from her abdomen.  The physician had to cut into the subcutaneous tissue to remove it.  Should we use a code from the Integumentary section or the Musculoskeletal section to report this removal?

Answer:

You would report the appropriate code from the benign lesion excision section (in your case, 11404) for the removal.  Sebaceous cysts are dermal in origin, even if they extend into the subcutaneous tissue, so they are not considered soft tissue tumors.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 08/23/18.