Necrosis of artery

This code signifies the death of arterial tissue, often due to insufficient blood supply (ischemia) or direct injury. It represents a pathological process where arterial cells and tissues are irreversibly damaged and die. This can affect any artery in the body.

Assign this code when documentation explicitly states "necrosis of artery" or describes arterial tissue death not otherwise specified. It is appropriate for cases where the underlying cause of the necrosis, such as embolism or thrombosis, is not yet definitively diagnosed or is not the primary focus of the encounter. Supporting documentation would include pathology reports, operative notes, or physician progress notes detailing arterial tissue death.

• Do not use this code if a more specific diagnosis for arterial necrosis (e.g., gangrene due to arterial occlusion) is available.
• Consider sequencing this code as a secondary diagnosis if the primary reason for the encounter is a complication directly resulting from the arterial necrosis.
• Always review documentation for the specific artery affected and the underlying cause, as more precise codes may be available in other ICD-9-CM chapters.