COMMON SKIN PROCEDURE CODES
2014
INCISION & DRAINAGE
10060 – Incision and drainage of abscess (eg, carbuncle, suppurative hidradenitis, cutaneous or
subcutaneous abscess, cyst, furuncle, or paronychia); simple or single
10061 – Incision and drainage of abscess (eg, carbuncle, suppurative hidradenitis, cutaneous or
subcutaneous abscess, cyst, furuncle, or paronychia); complicated or multiple
 Complicated usually involves packing the wound.
10120 – Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; simple
 Simple incision in the skin overlying the foreign body. Foreign body is retrieved using
hemostats or forceps. Skin may be sutured or allowed to heal secondarily.
10160 – Puncture aspiration of abscess, hematoma, bulla, or cyst
PARING OR CUTTING
11055 – Paring or cutting of benign hyperkeratotic lesion (eg, corn or callus); single lesion
11056 – 2 to 4 lesions
11057 – more than 4 lesions
 11056 and 11057 are not add-on codes. They stand alone.
Ex. Three calluses are pared = 11056
 Paring codes are not usually billed with the destruction of benign lesion (17110) code, as it is
considered to be included in that code.
BIOPSY (zero global follow-up days)
11100 – Biopsy of skin, subcutaneous tissue and/or mucous membrane (including simple closure), unless
otherwise listed; single lesion
+11101 – each separate/additional lesion
 Certain anatomical areas have a specific biopsy code:
Ex. bx of external ear 69100, bx of lip 40490
SKIN TAGS (removal by scissoring or any sharp method, ligature strangulation, chemical destruction)
11200 – Removal of skin tags, multiple fibrocutaneous tags, any area; up to and including 15 lesions
+11201 – each additional 10 lesions, or part thereof.
DIAGNOSIS – 701.9 (Unspecified hypertrophic and atrophic conditions of skin – skin tag)
SHAVE REMOVAL (sharp removal by transverse incision or horizontal slicing, w/o full-thickness dermal
excision)
11300-11313 – Shaving of epidermal or dermal lesion, single lesion
Codes are determined by body area and lesion diameter.
EXCISION (full-thickness (through the dermis) removal of a lesion. Includes simple closure when performed.)
11400-11446 – Excision, benign lesion including margins, except skin tag
Codes are determined by body area and lesion diameter
11600-11646 – Excision, malignant lesion including margins
Codes are determined by body area and lesion diameter
Sara L. 05/05/14
COMMON SKIN PROCEDURE CODES
2014
INJECTION
11900 – Injection, intralesional; up to and including 7 lesions
 For steroid injections into keloid scars
DESTRUCTION (ablation of benign, premalignant, or malignant tissues by any method, with or w/o
curettement. Includes electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser, or chemical treatment.)
17000 – Destruction of premalignant lesions (eg, actinic keratoses); first lesion
+17003 – Second through 14 lesions, each
 List 17003 for each lesion after the first.
Ex. Four actinic keratoses were destroyed: 17000, 17003, 17003, 17003
17004 – 15 or more lesions
 17004 is a stand alone code. Do not use with 17000, +17003
DIAGNOSIS – 702.0 (actinic keratosis)
17110 – Destruction of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions;
up to 14 lesions.
 For wart destructions or destruction of benign lesions
17260-17286 – Destruction of malignant lesion
Codes determined by body area and lesion diameter
Sara L. 05/05/14