Summary & Overview
CPT 0758T: Frozen-Stain Slide Digitization
CPT code 0758T is an add-on pathology support code that captures clinical staff time to scan and digitize microscope slides prepared for a frozen tissue histochemical special stain exam. Digitization facilitates immediate or deferred pathologic diagnosis, supports telepathology workflows, and documents the technical process for complex intraoperative consultations. Nationally, adoption of slide scanning technologies affects pathology operational workflows, turnaround times for frozen sections, and telemedicine-enabled consultations.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical service represented by the code, payer coverage context, common billing modifiers, and where this service fits in pathology service lines. The publication presents benchmarks and policy-relevant points where available and notes gaps when input data are not provided.
The report outlines clinical context for frozen tissue special stain digitization, typical sites of service, and practical coding considerations for reporting this add-on service alongside the primary frozen-stain pathology procedure. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0758T describes clinical staff work to scan and digitize images from glass microscope slides for immediate or later pathologic diagnosis. This add-on service specifically supports digitization of slides prepared for a frozen tissue histochemical special stain exam and is reported in conjunction with the corresponding frozen-stain pathology service.
-
Service type: Clinical laboratory/pathology support — slide digitization by clinical staff for diagnostic review
-
Typical site of service: Hospital pathology laboratory, hospital-based frozen section suite, surgical pathology lab, or other clinical laboratory settings where frozen tissue processing and immediate pathology interpretation occur
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A patient undergoing urgent intraoperative consultation for a suspected tumor has a tissue specimen submitted for frozen section. The pathology team prepares frozen sections and performs a special histochemical stain to clarify tissue diagnosis intraoperatively. Clinical laboratory staff use a slide scanner to digitize the glass slides prepared for the frozen tissue histochemical special stain so the pathologist can review images remotely or archive them for later diagnostic correlation. Typical workflow: specimen receipt in surgical pathology → frozen section processing and staining (+88314) → glass slide preparation for the special stain → clinical staff scanning and digitizing of slides (0758T) → pathologist review of digital images and issuance of an intraoperative or final pathology report. Typical site of service is a hospital inpatient or outpatient surgical center with on-site pathology and histology services. Patient scenario example: a 62-year-old undergoing resection of a lung mass where the surgeon requests frozen section with special stain to confirm tumor subtype and margin status; slides are digitized for rapid remote review and for the permanent record.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | When the scanning required substantially greater work, time, or technical effort than typical for slide digitization. |
52 | Reduced services | When only a portion of the digitization service is performed (e.g., partial slide set scanned). |
53 | Discontinued procedure | When digitization is started but discontinued due to patient or technical factors. |
55 | Postoperative management only | When the provider is only involved in postoperative management and not the intraoperative scanning service. |
80 | Assistant surgeon | When an assistant surgeon is involved in the operative case associated with the frozen section (note: not typically appended to technical scanning code but may appear on related operative claims). |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Data not available in the input. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Data not available in the input. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
88314 | Special histochemical stain, intraoperative, requiring interpretation at the time of surgery (frozen) | The add-on special stain that 0758T specifically describes digitizing; the frozen stain is the clinical reason slides are prepared and scanned. |
88312 | Frozen section; gross and microscopic examination | Performed as the primary intraoperative pathology service; digitization may follow slide preparation for frozen section analysis. |
88342 | Immunohistochemistry or immunocytochemistry, per specimen; initial single antibody stain | Often used on permanent sections to further subtype tumors after intraoperative frozen and digitized review. |
88360 | Morphometric analysis; computer-assisted image analysis of stained slides | May be performed on digitized images after scanning for quantitative assessment. |
81025 | Urinalysis, microscopy | Data not available in the input. |