Other infective (teno)synovitis, unspecified hand

This code represents inflammation of a tendon and its synovial sheath in an unspecified hand, caused by an infection other than a specific bacterial or fungal organism. It indicates an infectious process affecting the tenosynovium, leading to pain, swelling, and impaired hand function. The "other infective" classification implies the infection is not due to common pathogens like staphylococcus or streptococcus, or the specific pathogen is unknown.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates infective tenosynovitis of the hand, but the specific infectious agent is not identified or is noted as "other" than those with more specific ICD-10-CM codes. This code is appropriate when the medical record specifies the hand as the affected site, but does not specify laterality (e.g., "infective tenosynovitis of the hand" without specifying left or right). Documentation should support an infectious etiology, such as pus, fever, or positive inflammatory markers, in the absence of a definitive pathogen.

• Avoid using this code if a more specific infectious agent (e.g., staphylococcal, tuberculous) is documented; instead, use the appropriate specific code.
• Ensure the documentation specifies "infective" to differentiate from non-infective tenosynovitis (M65.8-).
• If laterality (left or right hand) is specified, use the more precise M65.141 or M65.142 code.