ICD-9 Code 712.20

Chondrocalcinosis, due to pyrophosphate crystals, site unspecified

Not Valid for Submission

712.20 is a legacy non-billable code used to specify a medical diagnosis of chondrocalcinosis, due to pyrophosphate crystals, site unspecified. This code was replaced on September 30, 2015 by its ICD-10 equivalent.

ICD-9: 712.20
Short Description:Pyrophosph cryst-unspec
Long Description:Chondrocalcinosis, due to pyrophosphate crystals, site unspecified

Convert 712.20 to ICD-10

The following crosswalk between ICD-9 to ICD-10 is based based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) information:

  • M11.80 - Other specified crystal arthropathies, unspecified site

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (710–739)
    • Arthropathies and related disorders (710-719)
      • 712 Crystal arthropathies

Information for Medical Professionals

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-9 Code Edits are applicable to this code:

Information for Patients


Gout

Gout is a common, painful form of arthritis. It causes swollen, red, hot and stiff joints.

Gout happens when uric acid builds up in your body. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of substances called purines. Purines are in your body's tissues and in foods, such as liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies. Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood. It passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. But sometimes uric acid can build up and form needle-like crystals. When they form in your joints, it is very painful. The crystals can also cause kidney stones.

Often, gout first attacks your big toe. It can also attack ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. At first, gout attacks usually get better in days. Eventually, attacks last longer and happen more often.

You are more likely to get gout if you:

  • Are a man
  • Have family member with gout
  • Are overweight
  • Drink alcohol
  • Eat too many foods rich in purines

Gout can be hard to diagnose. Your doctor may take a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals. You can treat gout with medicines.

Pseudogout has similar symptoms and is sometimes confused with gout. However, it is caused by calcium phosphate, not uric acid.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases


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ICD-9 Footnotes

General Equivalence Map Definitions
The ICD-9 and ICD-10 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.

  • Approximate Flag - The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
  • No Map Flag - The no map flag indicates that a code in the source system is not linked to any code in the target system.
  • Combination Flag - The combination flag indicates that more than one code in the target system is required to satisfy the full equivalent meaning of a code in the source system.