Find comprehensive information on ulcer toe diagnosis, including clinical documentation, medical coding, ICD-10 codes, healthcare guidelines, and treatment options. Learn about differential diagnosis, symptoms, and wound care for ulcerated toe lesions. Explore resources for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the assessment and management of toe ulcers. This resource offers valuable insights into proper coding and documentation practices for optimal reimbursement and patient care related to ulcer toe conditions.
Also known as
Non-pressure ulcers of lower limb
Includes ulcers of the toes not due to pressure.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis can contribute to peripheral artery disease and toe ulcers.
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes is a common cause of foot and toe ulcers.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the ulcer due to diabetes?
Yes
With neurologic manifestations?
No
Is the ulcer due to peripheral vascular disease?
When to use each related code
| Description |
|---|
| Ulcer of the toe |
| Diabetic foot ulcer |
| Peripheral vascular disease ulcer |
Coding ulcer toe without specifying right, left, or bilateral can lead to claim denials and inaccurate reporting. Use L97.421-L97.429.
Failing to document the underlying cause (e.g., diabetic, arterial) impacts reimbursement and quality metrics. CDI should query for specificity.
Miscoding the ulcer stage (e.g., using L97.419 for an unspecified stage) can trigger audits and affect quality reporting. Ensure proper documentation.
Patient presents with complaints consistent with ulcerated toe. Chief complaint includes toe pain, possibly indicative of digital ulceration. Physical examination reveals the presence of a toe ulcer, characterized by [describe size, depth, location on toe e.g., a 1 cm x 0.5 cm superficial ulcer on the plantar aspect of the great toe; a deep, circumferential ulcer of the fifth toe involving the distal phalanx]. The ulcer base appears [describe appearance e.g., erythematous, necrotic, granular] with [describe exudate e.g., serous, purulent, sanguinous] drainage. Surrounding skin exhibits signs of [describe surrounding skin e.g., erythema, edema, induration, callus formation]. Patient reports [describe pain characteristics e.g., constant throbbing pain, intermittent sharp pain, pain exacerbated by pressure or ambulation]. Peripheral pulses are [describe pulses e.g., palpable, diminished, absent] in the [affected extremity]. Assessment includes ulcerated toe, likely related to [list suspected etiologies e.g., peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot ulcer, pressure ulcer, venous insufficiency, trauma]. Differential diagnoses include infection, gangrene, other vascular ulcerations. Plan includes [list planned interventions e.g., wound debridement if necessary, wound culture if indicated, offloading with appropriate footwear, vascular assessment with ABI or TBI if peripheral arterial disease suspected, optimization of glycemic control if diabetes present, pain management with analgesics]. Patient education provided regarding wound care, offloading techniques, and the importance of follow-up. Follow-up scheduled in [ timeframe e.g., one week, two weeks] to monitor healing progress and adjust treatment plan as needed. ICD-10 code [appropriate ICD-10 code based on etiology e.g., L97.419 Ulcer of other part of unspecified toe] is considered.