ICD-10-PCS Section: C - Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine

The seven characters in the nuclear medicine section have the following meaning:

  • Character 1 = Section
  • Character 2 = Body System
  • Character 3 = Root Type
  • Character 4 = Body Part
  • Character 5 = Radionuclide
  • Character 6 = Qualifier
  • Character 7 = Qualifier

Nuclear medicine section codes represent procedures that introduce radioactive material into the body in order to create an image, to diagnose and treat pathologic conditions, or to assess metabolic functions. The nuclear medicine section does not include the introduction of encapsulated radioactive material for the treatment of cancer. These procedures are included in the radiation oncology section. Nuclear medicine procedure codes have a first character value of "C". The second character specifies the body system on which the nuclear medicine procedure is performed. The third character root type indicates the type of nuclear medicine procedure (e.g., planar imaging or non-imaging uptake).

The fourth character indicates the body part or body region studied. Regional (e.g., lower extremity veins) and combination (e.g., liver and spleen) body part values are used in this section. The fifth character specifies the radionuclide, the radiation source. The fifth character value Other Radionuclide is provided in the nuclear medicine section for newly approved radionuclides until they can be added to the system. The sixth and seventh characters are not specified in the nuclear medicine section, and always have the value None. If more than one radiopharmaceutical is used to perform the procedure, then more than one code is used.

C0 - Central Nervous System

C2 - Heart

C5 - Veins

C7 - Lymphatic and Hematologic System

C8 - Eye

C9 - Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat

CB - Respiratory System

CD - Gastrointestinal System

CF - Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas

CG - Endocrine System

CH - Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast

CP - Musculoskeletal System

CT - Urinary System

CV - Male Reproductive System

CW - Anatomical Regions