I75.012
BillableAtheroembolism of left upper extremity
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 264 — Vascular Disease with Complications
0.356V24HCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications
0.450ESRDHCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications
0.000What This Code Means
Cholesterol crystals or plaque fragments break loose from arteries and lodge in blood vessels of the left arm, restricting blood flow to that limb.
Coding Tips
- •Confirm laterality is documented as left to avoid miscoding as unspecified or bilateral
- •May be associated with recent arterial procedures or catheterization
Clinical Significance
Atheroembolism of the left upper extremity involves cholesterol crystal embolization from proximal atherosclerotic disease to the left arm or hand vasculature. This condition indicates severe systemic atherosclerosis and can cause digital ischemia, gangrene, and functional impairment. Laterality-specific coding is essential for accurate clinical documentation and care planning.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation of atheroembolism affecting the left upper extremity
- ✓Clinical findings (blue finger syndrome, digital ischemia, livedo reticularis, gangrene)
- ✓Embolic source identification (aortic atherosclerosis, subclavian disease)
- ✓Precipitating event documentation if applicable
- ✓Laboratory findings supportive of cholesterol embolism
- ✓Treatment and tissue management plan
Commonly Confused Codes
I75.011 — Atheroembolism of right upper extremity: opposite lateralityI75.019 — Atheroembolism of unspecified upper extremity: use left-specific code when documentedI74.2 — Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of the upper extremities: general thromboembolism, not cholesterol-specificI75.022 — Atheroembolism of left lower extremity: different extremity
Code Hierarchy
└I75Atheroembolism└I75.0Atheroembolism of extremities└I75.01Atheroembolism of upper extremity└I75.012Atheroembolism of left upper extremity
└I75.012Atheroembolism of left upper extremity