Physician Practice

A look at anatomy and ICD-10-CM coding for the eye

Physician Practice Insider, March 7, 2017

The human eye may be small—only approximately one inch in diameter on average—but it is the most complex organ system in the body.

Coders must understand the structure of the eye itself as well as accessory visual structures (the adnexa) to determine appropriate codes in ICD-10-CM. The codes for diseases of the eye and adnexa are located in Chapter 7 (H00–H59).

The human eye works like a camera. Light enters through the clear covering of the eye, called the cornea. The pupil, part of the eye that opens and closes somewhat like a camera’s aperture, controls the amount of light that enters the eye.

After light enters the eye, it strikes the retina, which is a series of light-sensitive cells lining the back of the eye. The retina captures the light like camera film and then it converts the light waves into nerve impulses. The optic nerve then carries those impulses to the visual cortex in the brain.

This article originally appeared on JustCoding. Read the complete, detailed article here.
 

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