2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code C88.0

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

ICD-10-CM Code:
C88.0
ICD-10 Code for:
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Neoplasms
    (C00–D49)
    • Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue
      (C81-C96)
      • Malignant immunoproliferative diseases and certain other B-cell lymphomas
        (C88)

C88.0 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Macroglobulinemia
  • Macroglobulinemic nephropathy
  • Malignant lymphoma - lymphoplasmacytic
  • Neuropathy associated with dysproteinemias
  • Neuropathy in macroglobulinemia
  • Renal involvement in malignant disease
  • Waldenström macroglobulinemia

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

    a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by pleomorphic b-lymphocytes including plasma cells, with increased levels of monoclonal serum immunoglobulin m. there is lymphoplasmacytic cells infiltration into bone marrow and often other tissues, also known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. clinical features include anemia; hemorrhages; and hyperviscosity.

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert C88.0 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 273.3 - Macroglobulinemia
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You are at increased risk if you have a weakened immune system or have certain types of infections.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, such as :

  • Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fever
  • Soaking night sweats
  • Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain
  • Weakness and tiredness that don't go away
  • Pain, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen

Your doctor will diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, or therapy to remove proteins from the blood. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. If you don't have symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. This is called watchful waiting.

NIH: National Cancer Institute


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Waldenström macroglobulinemia

Waldenström macroglobulinemia is a rare blood cell cancer characterized by an excess of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow.  These abnormal cells have characteristics of both white blood cells (lymphocytes) called B cells and more mature cells derived from B cells known as plasma cells. These abnormal cells with both lymphocyte and plasma characteristics are known as lymphoplasmacytic cells. Due to these cells, Waldenström macroglobulinemia is classified as a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. In Waldenström macroglobulinemia, these abnormal cells produce excess amounts of IgM, the largest of a type of protein known as an immunoglobulin; the overproduction of this large protein contributes to the condition's name (macroglobulinemia). 

Waldenström macroglobulinemia usually begins in a person's sixties and is a slow-growing (indolent) cancer. Some affected individuals have elevated levels of IgM and lymphoplasmacytic cells but no symptoms of the condition; in these cases, the disease is usually found incidentally by a blood test taken for another reason. These individuals are diagnosed with smoldering (or asymptomatic) Waldenström macroglobulinemia. It can be many years before a person with the condition develops noticable signs and symptoms.

The most common signs and symptoms to first appear in people with Waldenström macroglobulinemia are weakness and extreme tiredness (fatigue) caused by a shortage of red blood cells (anemia). Affected individuals can also experience general symptoms such as fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Some people with Waldenström macroglobulinemia develop a loss of sensation and weakness in the limbs (peripheral neuropathy). Doctors are unsure why this feature occurs, although they speculate that the IgM protein attaches to the protective covering of nerve cells (myelin) and breaks it down. The damaged nerves cannot carry signals normally, leading to neuropathy.

Other features of Waldenström macroglobulinemia are due to the accumulation of lymphoplasmacytic cells in different tissues. For example, accumulation of these cells can lead to an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), spleen (splenomegaly), or lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy). In the bone marrow, the lymphoplasmacytic cells interfere with normal blood cell development, causing a shortage of healthy blood cells (pancytopenia). 

Several other signs and symptoms of Waldenström macroglobulinemia are related to the excess amounts of IgM. Increased IgM can thicken blood and impair circulation, causing a condition known as hyperviscosity syndrome. Features related to hyperviscosity syndrome include bleeding in the nose or mouth, blurring or loss of vision, headache, dizziness, and confusion. In some affected individuals, IgM and other immunoglobulins react to cold temperatures to form gel-like clumps that block blood flow in areas exposed to the cold, such as the hands and feet. These clumped proteins are referred to as cryoglobulins, and their clumping causes a condition known as cryoglobulinemia. Cryoglobulinemia can lead to pain in the hands and feet or episodes of Raynaud phenomenon, in which the fingers and toes turn white or blue in response to cold temperatures. The IgM protein, along with another protein called amyloid, can build up in organs and interfere with their normal function. This buildup causes a condition called amyloidosis. Organs that are typically affected by amyloidosis include the heart, kidneys, liver or spleen. Affected individuals can experience weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, or joint pain. 



[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:

  • The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
  • The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.