C82.22
BillableFollicular lymphoma grade III, unspecified, intrathoracic lymph nodes
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 inside the chest cavity.
Coding Tips
- •Intrathoracic lymph nodes include mediastinal and hilar nodes; ensure imaging confirms chest involvement
- •Document whether involvement is unilateral or bilateral for complete clinical picture
Clinical Significance
Follicular lymphoma grade III unspecified in intrathoracic lymph nodes represents high-grade disease in the mediastinal or hilar region. This combination warrants attention because bulky intrathoracic grade III disease may require urgent treatment for airway compression or superior vena cava syndrome, unlike the watch-and-wait approach common in lower-grade follicular lymphoma.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming grade III follicular lymphoma
- ✓CT/PET imaging documenting intrathoracic lymph node involvement with size measurements
- ✓Assessment for mediastinal bulk disease and compressive symptoms
- ✓Query for IIIa vs. IIIb subclassification
- ✓Urgent treatment assessment if symptomatic
Commonly Confused Codes
C82.12 — Grade II, intrathoracic; lower grade with different treatment implicationsC82.32 — Grade IIIa, intrathoracic; use when centrocytes are specified on pathologyC82.42 — Grade IIIb, intrathoracic; use when only centroblasts are seenC85.22 — Mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma; a distinct clinicopathologic entity, not follicular lymphoma