C72.42
BillableMalignant neoplasm of left acoustic nerve
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
A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the left acoustic nerve, which is involved in hearing and balance on the left side.
Coding Tips
- •This code specifies the left side; use C72.41 for right side and verify laterality in documentation
- •Acoustic nerve tumors may present with hearing loss or balance problems; document affected side clearly
Clinical Significance
Malignant neoplasm of the left acoustic nerve is the left-sided counterpart of this rare cranial nerve VIII malignancy. As with right-sided disease, the key clinical challenge is distinguishing true malignancy from the much more common benign vestibular schwannoma. Documentation must clearly support malignant behavior to justify this code.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology report explicitly confirming malignancy of the left acoustic nerve
- ✓Imaging confirmation of left-sided involvement
- ✓Audiometric and vestibular function testing for the left ear
- ✓Tumor characteristics including size, invasiveness, and growth pattern
- ✓Current treatment status and surveillance plan
Commonly Confused Codes
C72.41 — Malignant neoplasm of right acoustic nerve: Verify left lateralityD33.3 — Benign neoplasm of cranial nerves: Benign schwannomas must not be coded as malignantC72.40 — Unspecified acoustic nerve: Use C72.42 when left side is documentedH90.3 — Sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral: A symptom that may result from acoustic nerve pathology, not the tumor itself
Code Hierarchy
└C72Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord, cranial nerves and other parts of central nervous system└C72.4Malignant neoplasm of acoustic nerve└C72.42Malignant neoplasm of left acoustic nerve
└C72.42Malignant neoplasm of left acoustic nerve