Question

A patient is given xylocaine, a local anesthetic, by injection in the thigh above the site to be biopsied. a small bore needle is then introduced into the muscle, about 3 inches deep, and a muscle biopsy is taken. what cpt® code is reported for this service?

Answer 1

The correct CPT code for a muscle biopsy taken with a small bore needle, percutaneously, in the thigh is typically '20200'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) code that should be reported for a local anesthetic injection followed by a muscle biopsy in the thigh. When dealing with a procedure like a muscle biopsy, the correct CPT code is necessary for billing and medical records. For a muscle biopsy taken using a needle, the CPT code to report usually falls within the range of '20200' to '20206' depending on the specific circumstances such as the depth of the muscle and the technique used. In this case, since the biopsy is performed with a small bore needle and is a superficial procedure, the appropriate code is often '20200' for biopsy of muscle, percutaneous (through the skin).