C85.12
BillableUnspecified B-cell lymphoma, 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 cancer of B-cells located in the lymph nodes inside the chest cavity, including those around the lungs and heart.
Coding Tips
- •Verify documentation specifies intrathoracic (chest) lymph node involvement
- •This includes mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes; ensure site is clearly documented
Clinical Significance
Unspecified B-cell lymphoma involving intrathoracic lymph nodes identifies the anatomical location but lacks specific subtype classification. B-cell lymphoma subtype determination (diffuse large B-cell, follicular, mantle cell, marginal zone, etc.) is critical for treatment selection and prognosis. While the site specificity is valuable, coders should always query for the B-cell subtype from pathology before accepting this code.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology with immunophenotyping confirming B-cell lineage (CD20, CD19, PAX5 markers)
- ✓Clinical or imaging documentation confirming involvement of intrathoracic lymph nodes
- ✓Query provider for specific B-cell lymphoma subtype if pathology report is available
- ✓Staging information including Ann Arbor stage, B-symptoms, and performance status
Commonly Confused Codes
C83.30-C83.39 (Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) — If DLBCL is documented, use the specific C83.3 code with appropriate site characterC82.x (Follicular lymphoma) — Follicular lymphoma has its own code series and should not be coded as unspecified B-cellC83.1x (Mantle cell lymphoma) — Mantle cell is a specific B-cell subtype with its own codesC85.10 (Unspecified B-cell lymphoma, unspecified site) — Use the site-specific code when anatomical location is documented
Code Hierarchy
└C85Other specified and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma└C85.1Unspecified B-cell lymphoma└C85.12Unspecified B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes
└C85.12Unspecified B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes