Find information on swelling leg diagnosis, including edema, lower extremity swelling, peripheral edema, leg pain, venous insufficiency, lymphedema, cellulitis, DVT, deep vein thrombosis, heart failure, kidney disease, and medication side effects. Learn about clinical documentation, medical coding, ICD-10 codes for leg swelling, and differential diagnosis considerations for healthcare professionals. Explore causes, symptoms, and treatment options for swollen legs.
Also known as
Symptoms and signs involving skin and subcutaneous tissue
Includes localized swelling, edema, and related skin changes.
Noninfective disorders of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes
Covers lymphedema, a common cause of leg swelling.
Heart failure
Heart failure can cause fluid buildup and swelling in the legs.
Other complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
Includes venous complications in pregnancy that can cause leg swelling.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the swelling due to trauma?
Yes
Is a fracture involved?
No
Is it due to a circulatory issue?
When to use each related code
| Description |
|---|
| Swelling Leg |
| Deep Vein Thrombosis |
| Lymphedema |
Coding swelling leg without specifying right, left, or bilateral can lead to claim denials and inaccurate data reporting. Use ICD-10 laterality codes for proper reimbursement.
Generalized swelling leg lacks detail. Documenting underlying cause (e.g., edema, DVT, cellulitis) improves coding accuracy for optimal reimbursement and clinical data integrity.
Failing to document the cause of leg swelling impacts accurate code assignment. CDI should query physicians to identify underlying conditions to improve code specificity and data quality.
Patient presents with complaints of leg swelling, also described as leg edema or lower extremity edema. Onset of swelling is [duration of swelling - e.g., acute, gradual, chronic], and located in the [location of swelling - e.g., right leg, left leg, bilateral legs, ankle, calf, thigh]. Patient reports [associated symptoms - e.g., pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, skin discoloration, difficulty walking, shortness of breath, chest pain, recent surgery, recent travel, immobility]. Physical examination reveals [objective findings - e.g., pitting edema, non-pitting edema, palpable cords, increased skin temperature, erythema, tenderness to palpation, positive Homan's sign, presence of varicose veins, ulcerations, decreased range of motion]. Differential diagnosis includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT), venous insufficiency, cellulitis, lymphedema, heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, medication side effect, and musculoskeletal injury. Assessment for DVT risk factors conducted, including [list of assessed DVT risk factors - e.g., recent surgery, prolonged immobility, trauma, family history, active cancer, oral contraceptives, pregnancy]. Preliminary diagnosis of [provisional diagnosis - e.g., dependent edema, venous insufficiency, cellulitis, rule out DVT] is made. Plan includes [diagnostic tests ordered - e.g., D-dimer, venous ultrasound, complete blood count (CBC), basic metabolic panel (BMP), urinalysis], [treatment plan - e.g., leg elevation, compression stockings, pharmacotherapy such as diuretics, anticoagulants, antibiotics], and patient education regarding [patient education provided - e.g., DVT prevention, management of leg swelling, medication instructions, follow-up care]. Patient will follow up in [duration - e.g., one week, two weeks] for reassessment.