© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Salivary gland imaging, specifically referred to as scintigraphy imaging of the salivary glands, involves the use of a radiolabeled isotope tracer to assess the function of the salivary glands, which include the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. These glands are essential exocrine structures located in the oral cavity that secrete saliva, a fluid crucial for food digestion and maintaining oral hygiene. The parotid glands are situated anterior and inferior to the ears, releasing saliva into the mouth through the Stensen ducts. The submandibular glands are found on the floor of the mouth, with saliva being secreted via the Warthin ducts, while the sublingual glands, also located on the floor of the mouth and lateral to the tongue, secrete saliva through both the Warthin and sublingual ducts. During the procedure, an intravenous line is established to inject the radiolabeled tracer into the patient's circulatory system. Following a designated waiting period, the patient is positioned on an imaging table, and a gamma camera is placed over the anterior head and neck area. Scanning is conducted at specific intervals to capture the radioactive energy emitted from the salivary glands, which is then converted into detailed images. This imaging technique is particularly useful for evaluating gland function, determining duct patency, and characterizing any tumors present. It is important to note that CPT® Code 78231 is designated for cases where serial images are obtained, while code 78230 is applicable for limited imaging scenarios. The physician is responsible for interpreting the scintigraphy results and providing a comprehensive written report of the findings.
© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
Salivary gland imaging is performed for various clinical indications, including:
The procedure for salivary gland imaging involves several key steps:
After the salivary gland imaging procedure, the patient may be monitored briefly to ensure there are no immediate adverse reactions to the tracer. The physician will interpret the scintigraphy results and provide a written report detailing the findings. Patients are typically advised to resume normal activities unless otherwise instructed. Follow-up appointments may be scheduled to discuss the results and any further diagnostic or therapeutic steps that may be necessary based on the findings of the imaging study.
| Short Descr | SALIVARY GLND IMG SERIAL IMG | Medium Descr | SALIVARY GLAND IMAGING SERIAL IMAGES | Long Descr | Salivary gland imaging; with serial images | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | ASC Payment Indicator | Radiology service paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 4 - Diagnostic Radiology | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | I1E - Standard imaging - nuclear medicine | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 210 - Other radioisotope scan |
| 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | MG | The order for this service does not have applicable appropriate use criteria in the qualified clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | MH | Unknown if ordering professional consulted a clinical decision support mechanism for this service, related information was not provided to the furnishing professional or provider | TC | Technical component; under certain circumstances, a charge may be made for the technical component alone; under those circumstances the technical component charge is identified by adding modifier 'tc' to the usual procedure number; technical component charges are institutional charges and not billed separately by physicians; however, portable x-ray suppliers only bill for technical component and should utilize modifier tc; the charge data from portable x-ray suppliers will then be used to build customary and prevailing profiles | X5 | Diagnostic services requested by another clinician: for reporting services by a clinician who furnishes care to the patient only as requested by another clinician or subsequent and related services requested by another clinician; this modifier is reported for patient relationships that may not be adequately captured by the above alternative categories; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the radiologist's interpretation of an imaging study requested by another clinician |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Changed | Short Description changed. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |