Summary & Overview
CPT 24075: Excision of Soft Tissue Tumor, Upper Arm/Elbow (<3 cm)
CPT code 24075 denotes surgical excision of a soft tissue tumor smaller than 3 cm in the upper arm and elbow area. This code captures a focused operative procedure on the proximal upper extremity and is used in surgical, oncologic, and orthopedics billing. Nationally, accurate coding for such targeted excisions matters for care coordination, quality measurement, and appropriate payment for operative time and facility resources.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical context for small soft tissue tumor excision, common sites of service, and the typical clinical scenarios that generate use of this code. The publication also covers payer coverage patterns, common modifier use, and benchmark considerations for surgical oncology and orthopedics services when data are available.
This summary highlights what clinicians, billers, and administrators need to know about coding specificity for small upper-arm/elbow soft tissue tumor excisions, including how correct use of CPT code 24075 supports claims processing and clinical documentation. Data not available in the input will be identified where applicable in detailed sections.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 24075 describes the surgical excision of a soft tissue tumor measuring less than 3 cm located in the upper arm and elbow region. This procedure involves removal of a localized soft tissue mass from the proximal/distal humeral soft tissues surrounding the elbow joint.
Service type: Surgical excision of soft tissue tumor
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgical center, and may also be performed in an inpatient operating room when clinically indicated.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 54-year-old male presents to the orthopedic clinic with a palpable, slowly enlarging, painless soft-tissue mass on the lateral aspect of the right upper arm near the elbow. Imaging with ultrasound and MRI demonstrates a well-circumscribed soft-tissue lesion measuring 2.2 cm in greatest dimension without invasion of underlying bone or major neurovascular structures. The patient is scheduled for an outpatient surgical excision of the tumor under regional block or general anesthesia. The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (history, focused exam, informed consent), perioperative imaging review, operative time for wide local excision of the lesion with hemostasis and layered closure, specimen submission to pathology for histologic diagnosis, and routine postoperative wound care and follow-up visit to review pathology and monitor healing. Typical site of service is an outpatient ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department. Service type is minor soft tissue tumor excision of the upper arm/elbow region.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | Use when the procedure is performed on the left upper arm/elbow. |
RT | Right side |