C81.21
BillableMixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 21 — Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.545V24HCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675ESRDHCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000RxHCCHCC 21 — Hodgkin Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000What This Code Means
A type of Hodgkin lymphoma with mixed cellularity pattern affecting lymph nodes in the head, face, and neck region.
Coding Tips
- •Character '1' specifies head, face, and neck lymph node involvement; document specific nodes affected if possible
- •Add seventh character extension to indicate remission status or encounter type
Clinical Significance
Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma of head, face, and neck lymph nodes represents cervical lymph node involvement by this subtype. While cervical presentation is common across all Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes, mixed cellularity tends to present with more widespread disease at diagnosis compared to nodular sclerosis. Cervical lymphadenopathy may be the initial clinical finding prompting diagnostic workup.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming mixed cellularity subtype
- ✓Documentation of specific head, face, or neck lymph node groups involved
- ✓Complete staging workup
- ✓B-symptoms assessment
- ✓HIV and EBV testing status
- ✓Treatment plan
Commonly Confused Codes
C81.11 — Nodular sclerosis, head/face/neck: Different subtype at the same location; requires pathology distinctionC81.01 — NLPHL, head/face/neck: Different subtype; immunophenotype differsC81.20 — Mixed cellularity, unspecified site: Use C81.21 when head/face/neck involvement is documentedC83.31 — Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, head/face/neck: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Code Hierarchy
└C81Hodgkin lymphoma└C81.2Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma└C81.21Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck
└C81.21Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck