C85.91
BillableNon-Hodgkin lymphoma, 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
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of unspecified type affecting the lymph nodes in the head, face, and neck region.
Coding Tips
- •Verify that the lymphoma is specifically in head, face, or neck lymph nodes rather than other sites
- •This code is appropriate when the specific NHL subtype is unknown but the location is documented
Clinical Significance
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, involving lymph nodes of the head, face, and neck provides anatomical specificity but lacks subtype classification. Head and neck nodal lymphoma is a common presentation for both indolent and aggressive NHL subtypes and requires pathology for proper classification. While more specific than C85.90, this code should still prompt a query for the lymphoma subtype.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Confirmation that the lymphoma is non-Hodgkin type (not Hodgkin or other hematologic malignancy)
- ✓Clinical or imaging documentation confirming head, face, or neck lymph node involvement (cervical, submandibular, preauricular, occipital nodes)
- ✓Query for pathology results identifying the specific lymphoma subtype
- ✓If subtype cannot be determined, document the reason and note it is non-Hodgkin in nature
Commonly Confused Codes
C81.x1 (Hodgkin lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck) — Must distinguish Hodgkin from non-Hodgkin based on pathologyC85.11 (Unspecified B-cell lymphoma, head/face/neck) — If B-cell lineage is known, C85.11 is more specificC83.31 (Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, head/face/neck) — If DLBCL is confirmed, use the specific codeC85.90 (Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, unspecified site) — Use C85.91 when head/face/neck nodes are documented
Code Hierarchy
└C85Other specified and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma└C85.9Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified└C85.91Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck
└C85.91Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck