Skip to content

E78.70

Billable

Disorder of bile acid and cholesterol metabolism, unspecified

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 47Disorders of Fatty-Acid and Lipid Metabolism
0.000

What This Code Means

A disorder affecting how the body processes bile acids and cholesterol, but the specific type is not identified.

Coding Tips

  • This is an unspecified code; use only when the specific bile acid or cholesterol metabolism disorder cannot be determined
  • Review genetic testing results or specialist documentation to assign a more specific E78.71, E78.72, or E78.79 code

Clinical Significance

Disorder of bile acid and cholesterol metabolism, unspecified covers conditions where bile acid synthesis or cholesterol metabolic pathways are disrupted but the specific defect has not been identified. Bile acid synthesis disorders can cause cholestatic liver disease, fat malabsorption, and fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, often presenting in infancy or childhood.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider documentation of confirmed bile acid or cholesterol metabolism disorder
  • Diagnostic testing: serum bile acid profile, urine bile acid analysis, or genetic testing
  • Clinical manifestations: cholestatic jaundice, hepatomegaly, steatorrhea, fat-soluble vitamin deficiency
  • Reason for lack of specificity (workup in progress, indeterminate results)
  • Treatment plan: bile acid replacement therapy (cholic acid), fat-soluble vitamin supplementation

Commonly Confused Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open E78.70 in the Interactive Encoder

See full code details, AI coding tips, HCC mappings, and related codes in our interactive encoder. Start your 14-day Pro trial — no credit card required.