Q&A: Coding for metastatic lung cancer with diagnosis of status epilepticus

February 15, 2011

QUESTION: A 59-year-old man with metastatic lung cancer presents for an electroencephalogram (EEG) in the office with a diagnosis of status epilepticus. For the diagnosis, I reported the following codes:

345.3 (status epilepticus not otherwise specified)
197.0 (secondary malignant neoplasm of the lung)
199.1 (malignant neoplasm without specification of site, other)

I was advised to report codes 345.3, 162.9 (malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung, unspecified), and 199.1. But shouldn't I code the metastatic lung cancer as a secondary neoplasm?

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