Question

A 57-year-old male presents today for treatment of a non-healing ulcer on his right ankle with breakdown of the skin. What ICD code is used for this

Answer 1

2 ICD codes can be used for this:

1. L00 - L99 which is Disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissues.
2. L89 which is pressure ulcer.

Answer 2

The right answer is The ICD L89.510 (Pressure ulcer of right ankle)

Cutaneous ulceration is defined by a loss of substance: the superficial layers of the skin have disappeared, the basement membrane is torn off and the dermis is alive. It's a kind of wound that is slowly growing. The general cause is either circulatory (the circulation is diminished and the skin becomes necrotic), infectious (the microbes eat away at the tissues gradually), or cancerous (the cancerous cells destroy the healthy tissues to develop).

Normally our body has all the necessary defenses to regenerate itself. This is why an ulcer that does not heal in ten days must be absolutely shown to a doctor.

The latter will take a sample and the slightest doubt will require a skin biopsy. Treatment depends on the cause.