C46.50

Billable

Kaposi's sarcoma of unspecified lung

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 21 — Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors

0.545

V24HCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers

0.675

ESRDHCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers

0.000

RxHCCHCC 20 — Cancer, Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct

0.000

What This Code Means

A type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma that develops in the lung tissue, but the specific lung is not identified.

Coding Tips

•Use this code only when the laterality (left or right lung) is not documented; if specified, use C46.51 or C46.52 instead.
•Kaposi's sarcoma is often associated with immunocompromised patients; consider coding any related HIV/AIDS diagnosis.

Clinical Significance

Kaposi sarcoma of the lung without laterality specification represents pulmonary involvement, which is a life-threatening visceral manifestation. Pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma carries a poor prognosis and requires aggressive systemic treatment, making it a high-acuity diagnosis for risk adjustment purposes.

Documentation Requirements

✓Imaging (chest CT or bronchoscopy) confirming pulmonary involvement
✓Laterality of lung involvement — query provider to specify right, left, or bilateral
✓Biopsy or bronchoalveolar lavage results confirming Kaposi sarcoma
✓Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function impact
✓Human Immunodeficiency Virus status and concurrent opportunistic infections

Commonly Confused Codes

C46.51/C46.52 (Kaposi sarcoma of right/left lung) — use when laterality is documented C34._ (Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung) — primary lung carcinoma, not Kaposi sarcoma C78.0_ (Secondary malignant neoplasm of lung) — metastasis to lung from another primary cancer B59 (Pneumocystosis) — opportunistic pulmonary infection in immunocompromised patients, not Kaposi sarcoma

Code Hierarchy

└C46Kaposi's sarcoma └C46.5Kaposi's sarcoma of lung └C46.50Kaposi's sarcoma of unspecified lung

└C46.50Kaposi's sarcoma of unspecified lung