C82.21
BillableFollicular lymphoma grade III, unspecified, 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 slow-growing blood cancer (follicular lymphoma) that is grade III and located in the lymph nodes of the head, face, and neck area.
Coding Tips
- •Verify the grade III designation and head/neck/face location are both documented
- •Consider if cervical, supraclavicular, or other specific head/neck nodes are involved for clinical documentation
Clinical Significance
Follicular lymphoma grade III unspecified involving head, face, and neck lymph nodes represents high-grade follicular disease in a clinically accessible location. Grade III is considered more aggressive and often requires chemoimmunotherapy rather than observation. Head and neck presentation allows for straightforward biopsy but requires evaluation for airway or vascular compression with bulky disease.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming grade III follicular lymphoma (>15 centroblasts per HPF)
- ✓Documentation of head, face, or neck lymph node sites involved
- ✓Query for IIIa vs. IIIb subclassification
- ✓Ann Arbor staging
- ✓Aggressive treatment plan documentation consistent with high-grade disease
Commonly Confused Codes
C82.11 — Grade II, head/face/neck; different grade with less aggressive treatment approachC82.31 — Grade IIIa, head/face/neck; use if centrocytes are present in pathologyC82.41 — Grade IIIb, head/face/neck; use if sheets of centroblasts onlyC83.31 — Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, head/face/neck; different entity, check for transformation