C91.11

HCC Category Mapping

What This Code Means

A slow-growing blood cancer of B-cells that is currently in remission with no detectable disease.

Coding Tips

• •Remission in CLL must be documented by physician; may be partial or complete remission
• •CLL can have long remission periods; document the date remission was achieved for continuity of care

Clinical Significance

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia of B-cell type in remission indicates that the patient's B-CLL has responded to treatment with no detectable disease activity, though the condition is considered incurable and requires ongoing surveillance. Remission in CLL may be partial (reduction in disease burden) or complete (no detectable disease by standard criteria), and the distinction should be documented. Patients in remission remain at risk for relapse and secondary malignancies.

Documentation Requirements

• ✓The provider must explicitly document remission status, ideally specifying partial versus complete remission per iwCLL criteria.
• ✓Documentation should include the date remission was achieved, the treatment regimen that induced remission, and the method of assessment (flow cytometry, imaging, bone marrow biopsy).
• ✓Ongoing monitoring plan and minimal residual disease (MRD) status should be noted when available.

Commonly Confused Codes