I77.70

Billable

Dissection of unspecified artery

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications

0.450

ESRDHCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications

0.000

What This Code Means

A tear in the inner lining of an artery wall at an unspecified location, which can cause blood to leak between the layers and potentially block blood flow.

Coding Tips

•This is a non-specific code; use more specific dissection codes (I77.71-I77.73) when the artery location is documented
•Document symptoms such as pain, which may help identify the affected artery

Clinical Significance

Dissection of an unspecified artery is a serious vascular emergency where the inner lining of an artery tears, allowing blood to flow between the layers and potentially causing rupture or occlusion. This maps to vascular disease with complications, reflecting the acute severity and high resource utilization. Providers should be queried for the specific artery involved to improve coding specificity.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation of arterial dissection confirmed by imaging (CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, or conventional angiography)
✓Identification of the affected artery (query provider if documented as unspecified)
✓Acuity — whether acute, subacute, or chronic/healed dissection
✓Current treatment plan including anticoagulation, blood pressure management, or surgical intervention
✓Assessment of complications such as ischemia, hemorrhage, or organ damage

Commonly Confused Codes

I77.71-I77.79 — Dissection of specific arteries: use when the specific artery is documented I71.00-I71.03 — Dissection of aorta: use specifically for aortic dissection I74.x — Arterial embolism and thrombosis: occlusion mechanism differs from dissection I77.5 — Necrosis of artery: tissue death rather than intimal tear

Code Hierarchy

└I77Other disorders of arteries and arterioles └I77.7Other arterial dissection └I77.70Dissection of unspecified artery

└I77.70Dissection of unspecified artery