Biopsy or Excision of Inguinofemoral Nodes (February 2019)

February 2019 page 8 Biopsy or Excision of Inguinofemoral Nodes For Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2019, a new code (38531) was added to the Hemic and Lymphatic Systems/Lymph Nodes and Lymphatic Channels, Excision subsection to report open biopsy or excision of inguinofemoral nodes. Related instructional parenthetical notes were also added. This article provides an overview of these changes. Excision (For injection for sentinel node identification, use 38792) 38500Biopsy or excision of lymph node(s); open, superficial (Do not report 38500 with 38700-38780) 38505by needle, superficial (eg, cervical, inguinal, axillary) (If imaging guidance is performed, see 76942, 77002, 77012, 77021)...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This February 2019 CPT Assistant article reviews a 2019 CPT update affecting biopsy and excision procedures involving inguinofemoral nodes. It is relevant to coders, billers, and clinical documentation staff working with lymph node procedures, sentinel node identification, and related CPT instructional notes. The article also discusses associated parenthetical guidance, code relationships, and a clinical example with a procedural description.

Why This Topic Matters

Updates to CPT procedure coding can affect how lymph node biopsy and excision services are reported and how related instructional notes are applied. Understanding the scope of this change helps ensure documentation and coding workflows stay aligned with current procedural terminology.

Article Sections

  1. Excision

    This section summarizes the CPT code update and related parenthetical guidance for lymph node biopsy and excision procedures. It also addresses associated instructional references and reporting relationships within the code family.

  2. Other Procedures

    This section covers a related add-on procedure and the instructional note addressing when it may be reported with other primary procedures. It also includes the article’s clinical example and procedural description tied to the new code.

What You Will Learn

  • The general purpose of the CPT 2019 update discussed in the article
  • How the article frames related parenthetical instructional notes
  • What related procedural topics are addressed alongside the new code
  • How the article situates the update within lymph node and sentinel node procedures

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Billing staff
  • Coding educators
  • Clinical documentation specialists
  • Revenue cycle professionals

Codes Discussed

Code Ranges Discussed

Modifiers Discussed


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