Juvenile arthritis, unspecified, left hip

This code identifies a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis affecting the left hip, where the specific type of juvenile arthritis is not documented. It indicates an inflammatory joint condition of unknown etiology presenting in a pediatric patient.

Use this code when a physician documents "juvenile arthritis, left hip" without further specification of the type (e.g., juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Still's disease). Documentation should clearly indicate the left hip as the affected joint and the patient's age falling within the pediatric range for juvenile arthritis.

• Ensure documentation specifies "unspecified" if the type of juvenile arthritis is unknown.
• Verify the laterality (left hip) is clearly stated in the medical record.
• If the specific type of juvenile arthritis is known, a more precise code from the M08.0-M08.4 series should be used.