Summary & Overview

CPT 0109U: MycoDART–PCR Aspergillus Diagnostic Panel

CPT code 0109U designates the MycoDART–PCR™ Aspergillus diagnostic panel, a proprietary molecular test that uses dual amplification real‑time PCR to detect four Aspergillus species in blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, or tissue. This PLA code identifies a single manufacturer‑specific assay and is relevant nationally for hospitals, clinical laboratories, and payers managing testing for invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

Readers will learn what CPT code 0109U represents, the clinical context for testing (aspergillosis detection in at‑risk patients), typical sites of service (clinical laboratory processing of blood, lavage, or tissue specimens), and how this PLA code is used to uniquely track a manufacturer‑specific diagnostic assay. The publication provides benchmarks and policy context related to billing and coverage for proprietary molecular diagnostics, outlines common modifiers used with PLA and laboratory codes, and summarizes clinical implications for ordering providers and laboratories. Data not provided in the input—such as detailed payer-specific coverage policies, associated taxonomies, and ICD‑10 mappings—is noted as unavailable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare0109UCPTProprietary Laboratory AnalysesMycoDARTAspergillusPCR panelMolecular diagnosticsLaboratory testingInfectious disease

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 0109U is a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) code for the MycoDART–PCR™ Aspergillus diagnostic panel from RealTime Laboratories, Inc./MycoDART, Inc. The test is a dual amplification real–time PCR panel that detects the presence or absence of four Aspergillus species in patient specimens. Aspergillus can cause aspergillosis, a fungal infection that primarily affects the lungs and can involve other organs in immunocompromised patients.

Service Type: Proprietary molecular diagnostic test (PCR panel)

Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory processing specimens from inpatient or outpatient settings

Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 56-year-old immunocompromised patient with a history of hematologic malignancy presents with progressive fever, cough, dyspnea, and new focal pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. An intensivist and infectious disease physician evaluate the patient in the inpatient setting. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is obtained during bronchoscopy and submitted to the hospital clinical laboratory for fungal testing. The laboratory performs the MycoDART–PCR™ Aspergillus diagnostic panel, a dual amplification real–time PCR assay that detects four clinically relevant Aspergillus species from blood, BAL fluid, or tissue. Results are reported as presence/absence of Aspergillus DNA to guide antimicrobial selection and infection control decisions. Typical sites of service include the hospital inpatient laboratory, hospital outpatient laboratory or reference laboratory, and the procedure (bronchoscopy) may occur in the operating room, bronchoscopy suite, or intensive care unit. The clinical workflow includes specimen collection (blood/BAL/tissue), specimen accessioning, PCR testing under the laboratory’s PLA test protocol, result validation by laboratory personnel, and result delivery to the treating team for correlation with clinical and radiographic findings.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing the laboratory/testing facility’s technical portion only if the performing lab or facility bills separately for equipment, supplies, and personnel.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RX0203X	Infectious Disease	ID physicians order testing, interpret results in clinical context.
208000000X	Pulmonary Disease	Pulmonologists perform bronchoscopy and obtain BAL specimens.
207Q00000X	Pathology	Pathologists or clinical microbiologists oversee molecular testing and result validation in the lab.
261QM0800X	Clinical Laboratory	Clinical laboratory directors and molecular diagnosticians manage PLA testing workflows.
207L00000X	Critical Care Medicine	Intensivists frequently manage severely ill patients who require rapid fungal diagnostics.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`B44.0`	Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis	Primary clinical indication for Aspergillus PCR testing on BAL or tissue to confirm invasive disease.
`B44.1`	Other pulmonary aspergillosis	Used when non-invasive or chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is suspected and molecular confirmation is sought.
`B44.7`	Disseminated aspergillosis	Relevant when blood or tissue testing is performed to detect systemic spread.
`B44.9`	Aspergillosis, unspecified	Coded when aspergillosis is suspected but specific clinical form is not yet determined at time of testing.
`Z94.0`	Bone marrow transplant status	Post-transplant immunosuppression increases risk of invasive aspergillosis and prompts PCR testing for early detection.
`D70.9`	Neutropenia, unspecified	Neutropenic patients have high risk for invasive fungal infections; testing of BAL or blood is commonly performed.
`J98.4`	Chronic respiratory failure	Patients with chronic respiratory compromise may undergo diagnostic BAL and fungal PCR to evaluate persistent infection.
`B35.6`	Tinea of other specified sites; Data not available in the input.	Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`0109U`	MycoDART–PCR™ Aspergillus diagnostic panel; dual amplification real-time PCR for four Aspergillus species (proprietary PLA)	Primary laboratory test code for detection of Aspergillus DNA in blood, lavage fluid, or tissue.
`31622`	Bronchoscopy, flexible, including collection of specimen(s) by brushing or washing or protected brush, with or without fluoroscopic guidance	Common procedure to obtain BAL or bronchial washings for submission to the laboratory for `0109U` testing.
`87471`	Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); direct probe technique, each organism	Related molecular diagnostic family code representing respiratory pathogen nucleic acid testing methodologies; shown for context when additional molecular testing is performed.
`87899`	Unlisted microbiology procedure	Used when another specific microbiology/molecular diagnostic procedure is performed that does not have an existing CPT code alongside `0109U` in the workflow.
`99223`	Initial hospital care, typically 70 minutes or more	Represents inpatient evaluation by the admitting physician for a severely ill patient whose management may include `0109U` testing as part of diagnostic workup.