CPT 17110: Destruction of Benign Cutaneous Lesions, 1-14
CPT code 17110 denotes the destruction of one to 14 benign skin lesions by methods such as chemosurgery, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, or other destructive techniques. The code is commonly used in outpatient dermatology and primary care settings for removal of warts, molluscum, benign nevi, and other nonvascular benign lesions. Nationally, accurate use of this code matters for correct procedure documentation, payer adjudication, and consistent reporting of minor surgical services.
This analysis covers major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical contexts appropriate for use of 17110, common diagnosis pairings, related CPT code distinctions (including the separate code for 15 or more lesions), and the service settings where the procedure is typically performed. The publication provides benchmarking and policy-oriented context to help organizations align coding practice with payer expectations and claims processing norms. It also outlines administrative considerations such as bundling and code selection when multiple lesion destructions are performed.
Intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and revenue cycle staff, this summary helps ensure consistent application of CPT code 17110 across outpatient treatment scenarios.
Sign up for cpt 17110 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 17110 are released or updated.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 17110 reports the destruction of benign skin lesions using techniques such as chemosurgery, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, or other destructive methods. This code applies when a provider destroys one to 14 benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions.
Service Type: Destruction of benign cutaneous lesions
Typical Site of Service: Outpatient clinic or office-based dermatology setting, including primary care or specialty clinic procedural rooms where minor skin procedures are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 38-year-old patient presents to a dermatology clinic with multiple benign cutaneous lesions on the forearms and trunk, including several viral warts and benign nevi. Following a focused clinical exam and counseling, the dermatologist elects to perform office-based destructive therapy using cryosurgery and electrosurgery to remove 8 discrete benign lesions during a single encounter. The workflow includes pre-procedure identification and documentation of each lesion, informed consent, local topical or injected anesthesia if indicated, procedural destruction using cryotherapy and electrocautery, post-procedure wound care instructions, and documentation of lesion count and technique. The procedure is typically performed in an outpatient dermatology clinic, an office setting of a family medicine or internal medicine practice with procedural capability, or an ambulatory surgical center for patients requiring monitored anesthesia or multiple procedures. Typical payors for this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, BUCA, and Medicare.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
25 | Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure | Use when an E/M visit is performed and documented as distinct from the lesion destruction on the same date. |
52 | Reduced services | Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure is started but halted due to patient or clinical circumstances. |
59 | Distinct procedural service | Use to indicate a distinct service not normally reported together with another service; use cautiously and per payer rules. |
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional component of a service (rare for this procedure). |
TC | Technical component | Use when reporting only the technical component (rare; single-modifier form TC included in list). |
50 | Bilateral procedure | Use when identical procedures are performed bilaterally and payer requires bilateral modifier. |
76 | Repeat procedure by same physician | Use when the same physician repeats the procedure later on the same day. |
77 | Repeat procedure by another physician | Use when a different physician repeats the procedure on the same day. |
79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period | Use when the destruction is unrelated to the original surgical procedure during a global period. |
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work required is substantially greater than typically required for the CPT code. |
24 | Unrelated E/M service during postoperative period | Use when a separate E/M visit unrelated to the original procedure occurs in global period. |
57 | Decision for surgery | Use when the E/M encounter resulted in the decision to perform surgery (when applicable). |
95 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via real-time interactive audio and video | Use when applicable telemedicine guidance is billed per payer rules for pre/post care. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
207N00000X | Dermatology | Primary specialty performing lesion destruction procedures in office or ASC settings. |
207Q00000X | Family Medicine | Performs office-based lesion destruction for routine benign lesions. |
207R00000X | Internal Medicine | Performs office-based lesion destruction when procedural scope includes dermatologic care. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
A63.0 | Anogenital (venereal) warts | Viral warts amenable to destructive therapies when located on accessible skin. |
B07.0 | Plantar wart | Common wart on the sole often treated with cryosurgery or curettage. |
B07.8 | Other viral warts | Includes viral wart subtypes that are candidates for destruction. |
B08.1 | Molluscum contagiosum | Viral epidermal lesions that may be removed by curettage or cryotherapy. |
D18.01 | Hemangioma of skin and subcutaneous tissue | Benign vascular lesion sometimes treated with destructive modalities depending on size and location. |
D18.1 | Lymphangioma, any site | Benign lymphatic malformation occasionally addressed with destructive or ablative techniques. |
D22.5 | Melanocytic nevi of trunk | Benign nevi that may be electively destroyed when clinically appropriate and benign. |
D22.61 | Melanocytic nevi of right upper limb, including shoulder | Site-specific benign nevus commonly treated with office destruction if benign. |
D22.62 | Melanocytic nevi of left upper limb, including shoulder | Site-specific benign nevus commonly treated with office destruction if benign. |
D22.71 | Melanocytic nevi of right lower limb, including hip | Site-specific benign nevus commonly treated with office destruction if benign. |
D22.72 | Melanocytic nevi of left lower limb, including hip | Site-specific benign nevus commonly treated with office destruction if benign. |
D23.5 | Other benign neoplasm of skin of trunk | Benign cutaneous lesions of trunk appropriate for destructive treatment. |
D23.61 | Other benign neoplasm of skin of right upper limb, including shoulder | Site-specific benign lesions treatable with destruction. |
D23.62 | Other benign neoplasm of skin of left upper limb, including shoulder | Site-specific benign lesions treatable with destruction. |
D23.71 | Other benign neoplasm of skin of right lower limb, including hip | Site-specific benign lesions treatable with destruction. |
D23.72 | Other benign neoplasm of skin of left lower limb, including hip | Site-specific benign lesions treatable with destruction. |
D49.2 | Neoplasm of unspecified behavior of bone, soft tissue, and skin | Used when behavior is uncertain and lesion destruction may be performed pending definitive diagnosis. |
L28.1 | Prurigo nodularis | Pruritic nodules that may be destructively treated when localized. |
L57.0 | Actinic keratosis | Premalignant lesions often destroyed by cryotherapy or other ablative methods (note: some payors have specific coding guidance). |
L90.5 | Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin | Scar tissue managed occasionally with destructive or resurfacing techniques. |
L91.0 | Hypertrophic scar | Raised scar sometimes treated with destructive approaches in outpatient settings. |
L91.8 | Other hypertrophic disorders of the skin | Other hypertrophic lesions that may be targeted with destructive therapies. |
L92.0 | Granuloma annulare | Localized lesions sometimes treated with destructive modalities for symptomatic relief. |
L92.8 | Other granulomatous disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue | Other localized granulomatous lesions potentially treated by destruction. |
L98.0 | Pyogenic granuloma | Vascular proliferation often treated with curettage, electrocautery, or other destruction. |
B07.9 | Viral wart, unspecified | General wart diagnosis appropriate for procedural destruction. |
D17.0 | Benign lipomatous neoplasm of skin and subcutaneous tissue of head, face and neck | Superficial benign fatty neoplasms occasionally managed by specialists; destructive techniques less common. |
D29.0 | Benign neoplasm of penis | Site-specific benign lesions in genital area that may be treated with caution using destructive methods. |
D29.4 | Benign neoplasm of scrotum | Site-specific benign lesions in genital area that may be treated with caution using destructive methods. |
D48.5 | Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin | Lesions of uncertain behavior that may undergo destructive therapy after assessment. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
17111 | Destruction (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions; 15 or more lesions. | Used when the number of lesions destroyed in a single session is 15 or more; complements 17110 which covers 1–14 lesions. |