Suberosis

This code represents suberosis, a form of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (hypersensitivity pneumonitis) caused by exposure to cork dust. It is an inflammatory lung disease resulting from an immune response to inhaled organic particles, specifically from Penicillium glabrum (formerly Penicillium frequentans) found in cork.

Use this code when documentation confirms a diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis specifically attributed to cork dust exposure. This typically occurs in individuals working in cork processing or related industries. Supporting documentation should include a history of exposure and clinical findings consistent with extrinsic allergic alveolitis.

• Ensure documentation explicitly links the lung condition to cork dust exposure; otherwise, a more general code for extrinsic allergic alveolitis may be appropriate.
• Consider sequencing this code as a primary diagnosis if it is the reason for the encounter, or as a secondary diagnosis if it is a co-morbidity.
• Distinguish from other forms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (e.g., farmer's lung, bird fancier's lung) which have different causative agents and corresponding ICD-9-CM codes.