Rheumatoid myopathy with rheumatoid arthritis of left hand

This code signifies a muscular disorder (myopathy) directly caused by rheumatoid arthritis, specifically affecting the left hand. It indicates that the patient's rheumatoid arthritis has led to muscle weakness, atrophy, or other myopathic changes in that particular limb.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states rheumatoid myopathy as a complication of rheumatoid arthritis, with the manifestation localized to the left hand. Supporting documentation should include a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and clinical findings or diagnostic test results confirming myopathy in the specified hand.

• Ensure the documentation specifies "rheumatoid myopathy" and not just general muscle weakness or pain.
• Verify the laterality is explicitly stated as "left hand" to avoid miscoding.
• Always sequence the underlying rheumatoid arthritis code (e.g., M05.xx) first, as this code describes a manifestation.