Summary & Overview
CPT 37200: Transcatheter Vascular Biopsy, Intravascular Tissue Sampling
CPT code 37200 represents a transcatheter biopsy of the inner wall of a blood vessel performed by inserting a catheter to obtain tissue for laboratory diagnosis. This interventional vascular procedure is used to evaluate intravascular pathology when percutaneous or surgical biopsy approaches are not feasible. Nationally, accurate coding for these procedures affects claims adjudication, clinical documentation, and comparative utilization tracking for interventional radiology and vascular specialty services.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and common billing practices associated with CPT code 37200.
Readers will learn the clinical intent of the procedure, where it is typically performed, and the kinds of benchmarks and policy considerations that matter for payers and providers. The report outlines how CPT code 37200 fits into interventional vascular service lines, summarizes common billing modifiers and claims components (listed separately), and flags areas where coding clarity and documentation are important for accurate reimbursement and quality reporting. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 37200 describes a transcatheter biopsy of a blood vessel wall. In this procedure, a provider inserts a catheter into a blood vessel and obtains a tissue sample from the inner vessel wall for laboratory examination to diagnose vascular or intravascular disease.
Service type: Transcatheter vascular biopsy procedure
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or outpatient interventional radiology suite, catheterization laboratory, or specialized vascular procedure unit
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient with progressive, unexplained pulmonary hypertension and imaging evidence of a focal intravascular lesion is referred to interventional radiology for tissue diagnosis. The patient presents after non-diagnostic peripheral blood work and CT angiography that demonstrates an intraluminal mass within a central pulmonary artery branch. The interventionalist performs a transcatheter vascular biopsy by gaining arterial access, advancing a biopsy catheter into the target vessel under fluoroscopic guidance, and obtaining multiple small tissue samples from the vessel intima for histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Specimens are submitted to pathology with appropriate labeling and requisition. The procedure is typically performed in an interventional radiology suite or cardiac catheterization laboratory with conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia care, vascular access monitoring, hemostasis management, and post-procedure observation for access-site complications and vascular injury. Clinical documentation includes indication, informed consent, access site, number and type of biopsy samples, fluoroscopy time, complications (if any), and specimen disposition.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work, time, and complexity substantially exceed usual for 37200 and documentation supports increased services. |