B44.2

Billable

Tonsillar aspergillosis

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 6 — Opportunistic Infections

0.439

V24HCC 6 — Opportunistic Infections

0.440

ESRDHCC 6 — Opportunistic Infections

0.000

RxHCCHCC 5 — Opportunistic Infections

0.000

What This Code Means

A fungal infection of the tonsils caused by Aspergillus mold, which can cause inflammation and infection in the throat area.

Coding Tips

•Confirm the infection is specifically in the tonsillar tissue and not a secondary manifestation of pulmonary aspergillosis
•Document whether the patient has immunocompromise, as this affects treatment and prognosis

Clinical Significance

Tonsillar aspergillosis is an uncommon form of Aspergillus infection localized to the tonsillar tissue, typically occurring in immunocompromised patients. As an opportunistic fungal infection, it signals significant immune dysfunction and carries the same high RAF weight as other aspergillosis codes, making it important for risk adjustment capture.

Documentation Requirements

✓Biopsy or culture confirmation of Aspergillus from tonsillar tissue
✓Documented immunocompromised state (neutropenia, transplant, HIV)
✓Physical exam findings: tonsillar enlargement, necrotic tissue, pseudomembrane
✓Symptoms documented: sore throat, dysphagia, odynophagia
✓Evidence that infection is localized to tonsils versus disseminated disease

Commonly Confused Codes

B44.0 (Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis) - lung involvement, not tonsillar B44.7 (Disseminated aspergillosis) - use if Aspergillus has spread to multiple organ systems including tonsils J03.90 (Acute tonsillitis, unspecified) - bacterial tonsillitis; fungal etiology requires the B44.2 code

Code Hierarchy

└B44Aspergillosis └B44.2Tonsillar aspergillosis

└B44.2Tonsillar aspergillosis