AMA Clinical Examples in Radiology - 2017 Issue 1 (Winter)
Ultrasound-Guided Liver Biopsy
CLINICAL EXAMPLE 2 Ultrasound-Guided Liver Biopsy PROCEDURE Liver mass biopsy; ultrasound guidance. HISTORY 63-year-old female with pancreatic mass and multiple liver masses. TECHNIQUE Informed consent was obtained. Universal protocol completed prior to the procedure. Maximum sterile barrier technique (cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and sterile full body draped) was used. 76942 With the patient in the supine position, limited ultrasound evaluation of the liver was performed, and an image was obtained and saved. The right upper quadrant was prepped and draped in normal sterile fashion. The skin was anesthetized with 1% lidocaine. Under direct ultrasound guidance, a 17-...
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Article Overview
This article presents a radiology clinical example centered on an ultrasound-guided liver biopsy and explains the broader coding context for image-guided percutaneous biopsy procedures. It is designed for coders, billers, and radiology professionals who need to compare biopsy type, imaging guidance, and site-specific code selection across common procedures and code sets.
Why This Topic Matters
Accurate reporting of image-guided biopsy services depends on understanding the distinction between the procedure itself, the imaging guidance component, and related code families. This article helps readers orient to those topics in a radiology coding context and see how liver biopsy fits into the larger biopsy coding framework.
Article Sections
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Clinical Example 2: Ultrasound-Guided Liver Biopsy
A procedural vignette describing a liver biopsy performed with ultrasound guidance, including the clinical setting and procedural workflow. The example is followed by the coding focus for the case.
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Discussion
General background on image-guided biopsy procedures, biopsy types, guidance modalities, and related coding considerations. The section also references national coding policy and guidance concepts relevant to biopsy reporting.
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Table 1. Site-Specific Biopsy Codes for Core Needle Biopsy
A site-based reference table listing common core biopsy procedure categories across anatomic locations. The table is intended to support code-set familiarity and cross-reference review.
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References
Source references and organizational materials cited in connection with the coding discussion and clinical example.
What You Will Learn
- How an ultrasound-guided liver biopsy is presented in a radiology coding example
- How the article frames image-guided biopsy coding in a broader procedural context
- Which code families are associated with biopsy procedures and imaging guidance
- How site-specific biopsy codes are organized across different anatomic locations
- What general policy and reference sources are cited for this topic
Who Should Read This
- Radiology coders
- Medical billers
- Coding educators
- Radiology practice staff
- Compliance reviewers
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
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