leptomeningeal disease

Need help finding a Dx code for leptomenigeal disease.


Brenda Hoss
Coder

Comments

  • Hi Brenda.
    Not a good thing to have.
    Definition:
    Leptomeningeal disease occurs when tumor cells gain access to cerebrospinal fluid pathways, travel to distant sites within the brain and spinal cord, settle, and grow. It is also known as Neoplastic Meningitis, Carcinomatous Meningitis, Lymphomatous Meningitis, and Leukemic Meningitis. Widely assumed to be invariably fatal, recently patients have enjoyed surprising responses to combinations of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapies. Some tumor types appear to be especially sensitive to chemotherapy injected directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, either by lumbar puncture (aka "spinal tap") or through a surgically-implanted ventricular access device, called an Ommaya. Other kinds of tumors - such as lung cancers in nonsmoking asian women - can respond remarkably well to oral chemotherapies.
    From what I can pick up, you will code it to C70.1


    Nancy Wolverton RN, CCM, HCS-D
    Kindred at Home
    Little Rock, Arkansas
    501-508-8526
    Nancy.Wolverton@kindred.com
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