ICD-10 Code for Cervical Cancer Screening
The ICD-10 code for routine cervical cancer screening in an asymptomatic woman is Z12.4 (Encounter for screening for malignant neoplasm of cervix).
Primary Screening Code
- Z12.4 is the appropriate code for encounters specifically for cervical cancer screening, including Pap tests, HPV testing, or co-testing in asymptomatic women who are presenting for routine screening 1, 2, 3.
Additional Relevant Codes
When documenting cervical cancer screening encounters, you may also need to consider:
Z11.51 - Encounter for screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be used when HPV testing is the primary focus of the visit 1, 2.
Z87.410 - Personal history of cervical dysplasia, which should be used for women with a history of abnormal findings who require more intensive surveillance rather than routine screening 4.
Z77.9 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to unspecified hazardous, chiefly nonmedicinal, chemicals, may be relevant for women with DES exposure requiring continued screening 4.
Important Coding Considerations
The screening code Z12.4 should only be used for asymptomatic women presenting for routine preventive screening. If a woman presents with symptoms (such as abnormal bleeding, discharge, or pelvic pain), the appropriate symptom code should be used instead, not the screening code 4.
For women presenting for follow-up of previously abnormal results, use the appropriate code for the abnormal finding (such as codes from the R87 series for abnormal cervical cytology findings) rather than the screening code 4.
Women who have had a total hysterectomy with cervix removal for benign disease should not receive screening and therefore Z12.4 would not be appropriate for these patients 4, 5.