Secondary syphilitic osteopathy

This diagnosis code signifies bone involvement as a manifestation of the secondary stage of syphilis. It indicates an inflammatory process affecting the skeletal system due to disseminated treponemal infection. Patients may present with bone pain, swelling, or periostitis.

Assign this code when documentation explicitly states secondary syphilis with osteopathy or bone lesions attributable to the infection. Supporting documentation should include a positive syphilis serology (e.g., RPR, VDRL, FTA-ABS) and imaging findings (e.g., X-ray, MRI) consistent with osteopathy in the context of secondary syphilis.

• Always sequence the underlying syphilis (A51.x) as the primary diagnosis if the osteopathy is the reason for the encounter.
• Differentiate from congenital syphilitic osteopathy (A50.0x) or late syphilitic osteopathy (A52.7x) based on the stage of syphilis documented.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the osteopathy to the secondary stage of syphilis, not just a general diagnosis of syphilis with bone pain.