CPT® Code 0471T

Deleted

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) for microstructural and morphological imaging of skin, image acquisition, interpretation, and report; each additional lesion (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a sophisticated, non-invasive imaging technique utilized for the microstructural and morphological assessment of skin. This advanced procedure is particularly valuable in the early detection and diagnosis of skin cancers, including actinic keratosis, in-situ squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. By providing detailed images of skin layers, OCT aids healthcare professionals in accurately identifying the characteristics of these lesions. Furthermore, OCT is instrumental in delineating the margins of basal cell and squamous cell tumors prior to surgical excision, which can help minimize the surgical deficit. The technology differentiates between the upper dermis and epidermis, allowing for precise measurement of tumor depth. Additionally, OCT visualizes various skin structures, such as the dermal-epidermal junction, upper (papillary) dermis, lower (reticular) dermis, blood vessels in the upper dermis, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and the nail unit and plate. This capability is essential for diagnosing inflammatory skin conditions, including psoriasis and systemic sclerosis, as well as fungal nail infections. The procedure employs a hand-held probe that emits a light beam laser directed at the skin's target area. This probe captures the scattered light from the tissue surfaces, which is then processed through an optical interferometer to generate high-resolution images of the tissue. For billing purposes, CPT® Code 0470T is used to report the optical coherence tomography imaging of skin tissue for the first lesion, while CPT® Code 0471T is designated for each additional lesion examined during the procedure.