2025 ICD-10-CM code J84.9
(Valid) Effective Date: N/A Diseases of the respiratory system - Other interstitial pulmonary diseases 10 Feed
Interstitial pulmonary disease, unspecified. Includes interstitial pneumonia NOS.
Medical necessity must be established based on the symptoms, clinical findings, and results of diagnostic tests.The documentation must support the need for further investigation and/or treatment of the interstitial lung disease.
The physician is responsible for diagnosing the interstitial lung disease through clinical evaluation, imaging studies (such as chest X-rays and CT scans), pulmonary function tests, and potentially lung biopsy.They are also responsible for determining the appropriate treatment strategy based on the specific condition and severity.
In simple words: This code is used when a person has a lung disease affecting the tissue surrounding the air sacs, but the specific type isn't known or hasn't been determined.
This code represents an unspecified interstitial pulmonary disease, encompassing conditions where the interstitium (the tissue and space around the air sacs of the lungs) is affected. It includes interstitial pneumonia not otherwise specified (NOS).
Example 1: A patient presents with progressive shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue. Imaging reveals diffuse interstitial changes, but the underlying cause is not yet identified. J84.9 is used until a definitive diagnosis is made., A patient with a history of exposure to environmental toxins develops respiratory symptoms. Clinical findings and imaging suggest interstitial lung disease, but further investigation is needed to determine the specific type. J84.9 can be used initially., A patient undergoes a lung biopsy, and the pathology report describes interstitial inflammation and fibrosis, but doesn't specify the exact disease process. In this case, J84.9 might be used if further diagnostic workup doesn't lead to a more specific diagnosis.
Documentation should include detailed clinical findings, including symptoms, physical exam results, history of exposures, imaging results (chest X-ray, CT scan), pulmonary function tests, and if performed, lung biopsy results.
** Excludes certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96), certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99), complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A), congenital malformations (Q00-Q99), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88), injury, poisoning (S00-T88), neoplasms (C00-D49), smoke inhalation (T59.81-), and certain abnormal clinical and laboratory findings (R00-R94).
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- Specialties:Pulmonology, Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Occupational Medicine
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, On Campus-Outpatient Hospital, Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital, Office, Independent Clinic, Federally Qualified Health Center