C81.31
BillableLymphocyte depleted 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 rare type of Hodgkin lymphoma with lymphocyte depletion affecting lymph nodes in the head, face, and neck area.
Coding Tips
- •Verify documentation specifies head, face, and/or neck lymph node involvement
- •Lymphocyte-depleted subtype is associated with poorer prognosis than other subtypes
Clinical Significance
Lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin lymphoma of head, face, and neck lymph nodes combines a rare aggressive histologic subtype with cervical/facial nodal involvement. Head and neck presentation is less typical for this subtype, which more commonly presents with abdominal or widespread disease. The aggressive biology requires prompt staging and initiation of intensive chemotherapy, often with ABVD or escalated BEACOPP regimens.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin lymphoma histology
- ✓Imaging or physical exam documentation specifying head, face, or neck lymph node involvement (e.g., cervical, submandibular, preauricular, occipital nodes)
- ✓Ann Arbor staging including B-symptom assessment
- ✓Treatment plan documentation addressing the aggressive subtype
- ✓Encounter-specific assessment of the condition
Commonly Confused Codes
C81.11 — Nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma, head/face/neck: nodular sclerosis is the most common subtype; verify pathology before defaulting to the more common typeC81.21 — Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma, head/face/neck: requires pathology differentiation based on the background inflammatory infiltrateC81.41 — Lymphocyte-rich Hodgkin lymphoma, head/face/neck: opposite histologic pattern with abundant lymphocytesC83.31 — Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, head/face/neck: a non-Hodgkin lymphoma that requires presence of Reed-Sternberg cells to distinguish from Hodgkin
Code Hierarchy
└C81Hodgkin lymphoma└C81.3Lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin lymphoma└C81.31Lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck
└C81.31Lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck