Drug-induced chronic gout, unsp ankle and foot, w/o tophus

This code signifies chronic inflammatory arthritis of the ankle and/or foot caused by a medication, characterized by recurrent episodes of pain, swelling, and redness. It specifically indicates that there are no visible or palpable tophi (deposits of uric acid crystals) associated with this drug-induced gout. The condition is persistent or long-standing, rather than acute.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states chronic gout in the ankle and/or foot is a direct result of drug therapy, and no specific ankle or foot is identified (e.g., "drug-induced chronic gout of the foot"). The medical record must explicitly rule out the presence of tophi. This code is appropriate when the specific drug causing the gout is not documented or is unknown.

• Ensure documentation specifies "chronic" and "drug-induced" gout.
• Verify the absence of tophi; if tophi are present, a different code from the M1A.27 category should be selected.
• If the specific drug causing the gout is known, consider an additional code from Chapter 20 (External Causes of Morbidity) to identify the drug.