Sickle-cell thalassemia beta plus with dactylitis

This code signifies a specific type of sickle cell disease, where a patient has inherited both a sickle hemoglobin gene and a beta-thalassemia gene, resulting in a "plus" variant (meaning some normal beta-globin is produced). The "dactylitis" component indicates inflammation of the digits (fingers or toes), a common painful manifestation of sickle cell crisis, often referred to as "hand-foot syndrome."

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of sickle-cell beta-thalassemia plus and explicitly mentions the presence of dactylitis. This code is appropriate for patients experiencing a painful crisis localized to the hands or feet due to their underlying sickle cell disease. Documentation should specify the "plus" variant of beta-thalassemia.

• Ensure the documentation specifies "beta plus" thalassemia, not "beta zero" (D57.41x) or unspecified (D57.40).
• Dactylitis is a specific manifestation; do not use this code for other types of sickle cell crisis without dactylitis.
• This code is a combination code; do not code dactylitis separately.