K51.40
BillableInflammatory polyps of colon without complications
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 81 — Ulcerative Colitis
0.000V24HCC 35 — Inflammatory Bowel Disease
0.289ESRDHCC 35 — Inflammatory Bowel Disease
0.000RxHCCHCC 67 — Inflammatory Bowel Disease
0.000What This Code Means
Growths in the colon caused by inflammation, without any additional complications.
Coding Tips
- •Use this code only when inflammatory polyps are documented without complications; if any complication is present, use a more specific code from the K51.41x series
- •Distinguish between inflammatory polyps (K51.4x) and other types of colonic polyps; inflammatory polyps are specifically associated with inflammatory bowel disease
Clinical Significance
Inflammatory polyps (pseudopolyps) of the colon without complications are non-neoplastic growths that develop as a result of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. While not directly precancerous, they indicate prior severe inflammation and mucosal damage, complicate colonoscopic surveillance for dysplasia, and confirm a history of significant inflammatory bowel disease activity.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Colonoscopy report documenting inflammatory (pseudo)polyps
- ✓Biopsy confirmation that polyps are inflammatory in nature, not adenomatous or dysplastic
- ✓Documentation that these are associated with underlying ulcerative colitis
- ✓Statement confirming no complications are present
- ✓Distinction from other polyp types (adenomatous, serrated, hyperplastic)
- ✓Surveillance plan based on inflammatory bowel disease guidelines
Commonly Confused Codes
K51.40 vs K63.5 — K63.5 is polyp of colon (non-inflammatory); K51.40 is specifically for inflammatory pseudopolyps related to ulcerative colitisK51.40 vs D12.x — D12 codes are for benign neoplastic polyps (adenomas); inflammatory polyps are not neoplasticK51.40 vs K51.00 — K51.00 is pancolitis without complications; K51.40 specifically captures inflammatory polypsK51.40 vs K51.80 — K51.80 is other ulcerative colitis without complications; inflammatory polyps have their own specific subcategory
Code Hierarchy
└K51Ulcerative colitis└K51.4Inflammatory polyps of colon└K51.40Inflammatory polyps of colon without complications
└K51.40Inflammatory polyps of colon without complications