Summary & Overview

CPT 17284: Destruction of Malignant Lesion on Face (3.1–4.0 cm)

CPT code 17284 covers the destruction of a malignant cutaneous lesion on highly visible or sensitive facial areas — including the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membranes — when the lesion measures 3.1 cm to 4.0 cm in diameter. The code captures a set of destructive techniques such as chemosurgery, cryosurgery, and electrosurgery used in ambulatory or outpatient procedural settings. Nationally, this code is relevant for dermatology and surgical oncology providers billing for major lesion destruction on cosmetically and functionally important sites.

Key payers in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical context for using this code, typical sites of service, and the common payer landscape that governs coverage and documentation expectations. The publication provides benchmarks and billing considerations tied to lesion size thresholds, coding specificity, and procedural categorization. It also outlines where to look for policy updates and payer-specific rules that commonly affect prior authorization and claims adjudication.

This summary is intended to orient coders, practice managers, and revenue-cycle staff to the primary clinical and administrative significance of CPT code 17284 and to highlight the topics covered in greater detail in the full publication.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare17284CPTdermatologylesion-destructioncryosurgeryelectrosurgerychemosurgeryoutpatient-procedures

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 17284 describes destruction of a malignant lesion located on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane. The procedure uses techniques such as chemosurgery, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, or other destructive methods. The lesion size specified for this code is 3.1 cm to 4.0 cm in diameter.

Service type: Destruction of malignant cutaneous lesion

Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or outpatient clinic procedural area (dermatology or surgical oncology settings)

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient presents to a dermatology clinic with a biopsy-confirmed malignant cutaneous lesion located on the left cheek measuring approximately 3.5 cm in greatest diameter. After discussion of treatment options, the dermatologic surgeon schedules a destruction procedure using electrosurgery in the outpatient dermatology procedure suite. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure evaluation (history, medication review, anticoagulation assessment), informed consent, local anesthesia administration, lesion mapping and measurement, lesion destruction using the selected modality (e.g., electrosurgery, cryosurgery, or chemosurgery), hemostasis and wound care, and brief post-procedure observation with discharge instructions. Documentation includes lesion location, exact measurement (3.1–4.0 cm to meet 17284), malignancy confirmation or strong clinical suspicion, method of destruction, anesthesia used, any complications, and follow-up plan for surveillance or further oncologic care if indicated.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal, distinct procedural service	When this procedure is the primary service performed and represents the usual, expected service by the performing practitioner.

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207N00000X	Dermatology	Dermatologists commonly perform destruction of malignant cutaneous lesions on the face and mucous membranes.
207P00000X	Mohs Micrographic Surgery	Surgeons specialized in skin cancer procedures; may be involved in diagnostic/excisional approaches though Mohs differs from destruction codes.
208D00000X	General Surgery	General surgeons may perform destructive procedures on facial or mucosal malignancies in certain settings.
363L00000X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	ENT surgeons perform procedures on nasal, ear, and mucosal lesions of the head and neck.
207V00000X	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	Plastic surgeons involved when reconstruction or complex wound management follows lesion destruction.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C44.311`	Squamous cell carcinoma of skin of right cheek	Common malignant cutaneous diagnosis that may be treated with lesion destruction when appropriate.
`C44.312`	Squamous cell carcinoma of skin of left cheek	Laterality-specific code relevant when documenting the exact site for billing and surveillance.
`C44.219`	Basal cell carcinoma of skin of unspecified ear	Basal cell carcinoma on head and neck areas often managed with destructive techniques depending on size and depth.
`C44.92`	Unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin, site unspecified	Used when documentation indicates malignant skin lesion but site specificity is not documented; best practice is to document precise site.
`C44.39`	Malignant neoplasm of skin of other and unspecified parts of face	A broader face-location code for malignant lesions treated with destruction.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`17286`	Destruction, malignant lesion, trunk, arms, legs; lesion(s) greater than 4.0 cm	Used when lesion size exceeds the `17284` size range; alternative code for larger lesions on other body sites.
`17260`	Destruction, premalignant lesions (e.g., actinic keratoses), up to 14 lesions	Performed when multiple superficial premalignant lesions are treated in the same session; different code set for premalignant conditions.
`17000`	Destruction of premalignant lesions, up to 14 lesions	Similar to `17260` but used for non-malignant, premalignant lesion destruction; not appropriate for confirmed malignancy.
`11600`	Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, legs; lesion 0.5 cm or less	Excisional codes are used when surgical excision with margins is performed instead of destructive techniques; may be performed after biopsy.
`11102`	Tangential biopsy of skin (shave), single lesion	Diagnostic procedure commonly performed prior to selecting a destruction approach; provides histologic confirmation.
`10060`	Incision and drainage of skin abscess; simple or single	Occasionally required if postoperative infection develops; represents potential subsequent procedure.