C71.4
BillableMalignant neoplasm of occipital lobe
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 20 — Lung and Other Severe Cancers
0.000V24HCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675ESRDHCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000RxHCCHCC 22 — Cancer, Other Specified Sites
0.000What This Code Means
Cancer that develops in the occipital lobe of the brain, which controls vision. This is a malignant brain tumor in the back part of the cerebrum.
Coding Tips
- •Confirm documentation specifies occipital lobe to differentiate from other brain locations
- •Document any visual disturbances reported by the patient, as these are typical with occipital lobe involvement
Clinical Significance
Occipital lobe malignancy affects the primary visual cortex, and tumors here characteristically cause contralateral visual field deficits (homonymous hemianopsia) that can significantly impair daily functioning. Despite being the smallest cerebral lobe, occipital tumors carry the same prognostic significance as other brain cancers and require aggressive multimodal treatment.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming primary malignancy with histological type and grade
- ✓MRI brain documenting occipital lobe location
- ✓Visual field testing results documenting any visual field deficits
- ✓Laterality and relationship to the visual cortex
- ✓Treatment plan accounting for visual function preservation
Commonly Confused Codes
C71.3 — Parietal lobe: parieto-occipital tumors may need careful localization or overlapping codeC71.0 — Cerebrum, unspecified: use C71.4 when occipital lobe is documentedC71.8 — Overlapping sites: use when tumor extends from occipital into adjacent lobesC79.31 — Brain metastasis: metastatic lesions to the occipital lobe are common from lung and breast primaries
Code Hierarchy
└C71Malignant neoplasm of brain└C71.4Malignant neoplasm of occipital lobe
└C71.4Malignant neoplasm of occipital lobe