Documenting Myasthenia gravis with ICD-10 Codes

Documenting Myasthenia gravis with ICD-10 Codes

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that causes weakness of the voluntary muscle groups. The article lists the ICD-10 codes for the condition.

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Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that causes weakness and rapid fatigue in the skeletal muscles (muscles your body uses for movement). The condition is generally caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between nerve cells and muscles which prevents crucial muscle contractions from occurring, resulting in muscle weakness. MG can affect muscles in most parts of the body.

However, it commonly affects the muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking. The condition can affect people of any age group, typically starting in women under the age group of 40 years and men above 60 years. Symptoms may occur at any age but they become more apparent during early adulthood. There is no specific cure for myasthenia gravis, but following a healthy lifestyle and undergoing timely treatment can help relieve signs and symptoms to a great extent. Billing and coding for neuromuscular disorders can be complex.

Neurology health practices as well as medical billing and coding companies should stay up-to-date with the latest billing and coding changes along with the related medical codes in order to report the right diagnoses codes on their medical claims.

According to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, MG is the most common primary disorder of neuromuscular transmission. It is estimated that this condition affects between 14 and 20 out of every 100,000 people in the United States. Factors that increase the risks of MG include – fatigue, stress, illness and use of certain medications such as beta blockers, quinidine gluconate, quinine (Qualaquin), phenytoin (Dilantin), certain anesthetics and antibiotics.

What Are the Symptoms of MG? Weakness in the voluntary skeletal muscles is one of the main symptoms associated with this condition. The failure of muscles to contract normally

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occurs as they can’t respond to nerve impulses. Without proper transmission of the impulse, the communication between nerve and muscle is blocked, resulting in weakness. Other common symptoms of this condition include – 

Trouble talking



Problems walking up stairs or lifting objects



Hoarse voice



Fatigue



Facial paralysis



Drooping of one or both eyelids (ptosis)



Double vision (diplopia)



Difficulty swallowing or chewing



Difficulty breathing due to muscle weakness

The type of symptoms and the degree of muscle weakness can change from day to day and vary from one person to another.

Diagnosing and Treating Myasthenia gravis Initial diagnosis of this autoimmune disorder involves a detailed physical examination along with analysis of symptoms. A complete neurological examination will be conducted where in physicians will check for – reflexes, muscle strength, muscle tone, senses of touch and sight and coordination and balance. A wide range of diagnostic imaging tests like - Edrophonium (Tensilon)

test,

repetitive

nerve

stimulation

test,

Single-fiber

electromyography (EMG), Ice pack test and CT scan or MRI scan (to check if there's a tumor or other abnormality in the thymus) will be conducted. In addition, blood testing will be done to check for antibodies associated with MG.

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There is no specific cure for MG, but treatment modalities can help effectively manage symptoms and control the activity of your immune system. Treatment options include – 

Medications like corticosteroids and immune-suppressants are used to suppress the immune system. These medications help minimize the abnormal

immune

response

that

occurs

in

MG.

In

addition,

cholinesterase inhibitors, such as pyridostigmine (Mestinon), can be used to enhance communication between nerves and muscles. 

Intravenous therapy like Plasmapheresis (filtering process similar to dialysis) and Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) (provides your body with normal antibodies) helps in improving muscle strength.



Thymus gland removal surgery will be conducted for patients with MG. Reports from the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America suggest that between 10-15 percent of people with MG will have a tumor in their thymus. Tumors, even those that are benign, are always removed because they may become cancerous. Once the thymus is removed, patients typically show less muscle weakness.

Neurology medical coding involves using the specific ICD-10 codes to show accurate diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis (MG) on your medical claims.

ICD-10 Codes to Use G70 - Myasthenia gravis and other myoneural disorders 

G70.0 - Myasthenia gravis  G70.00 - Myasthenia gravis, without (acute) exacerbation  G70.01 - Myasthenia gravis, with (acute) exacerbation

G70.1 - Toxic myoneural disorders G70.2 - Congenital and developmental myasthenia

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G70.8 - Other specified myoneural disorders  G70.80 - Lambert-Eaton syndrome, unspecified  G70.81 - Lambert-Eaton syndrome in disease classified elsewhere  G70.89 - Other specified myoneural disorders G70.9 - Myoneural disorder, unspecified For people with myasthenia gravis, coping with the disease may be difficult.

Incorporating key lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms of MG in the long run. Some of the lifestyle changes that can be made include – taking adequate body rest (help minimize muscle weakness), avoiding stress and heat exposure, wearing an eye patch (if you have double vision) and adjusting your eating routine.

Medical billing and coding for different neurology conditions can be intricate and requires knowledge regarding appropriate coding, modifiers and payerspecific medical billing. For accurate and timely medical billing and claims submissions, healthcare practices can outsource their billing and coding tasks to a professional medical billing company that provides the services of AAPC-certified coding specialists.

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