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CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

CPT code 41100 designates an excisional biopsy of the anterior two thirds of the tongue, used to obtain diagnostic tissue from lesions or suspicious areas on the tongue. Nationally, this code is relevant to otolaryngology, oral surgery, and head and neck oncology services because timely and accurate tissue diagnosis guides treatment decisions and staging. Payers commonly involved in coverage and reimbursement for this procedure include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

Readers will find a concise overview of what CPT code 41100 represents, typical clinical settings and service types, and the key considerations for coding and claims in a national context. The publication covers benchmarking items such as usual sites of service and payer mix, summarizes clinical context for when an excisional tongue biopsy is performed, and highlights administrative details that affect billing and documentation. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable, and the content focuses on the code meaning, coverage landscape, and operational context for stakeholders across the health system.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 41100 describes a surgical procedure in which the clinician makes an incision in the anterior two thirds of the tongue and excises affected tissue for the purpose of biopsy. This is a tongue biopsy with excision intended to obtain diagnostic tissue when lesions or suspicious areas involve the front portion of the tongue.

Service type: Surgical biopsy/excisional procedure
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department; may also be performed in an office setting with appropriate surgical capabilities

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CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical biopsy/excisional procedure
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department; may also be performed in an office setting with appropriate surgical capabilities

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old patient presents to an otolaryngology clinic with a persistent, non-healing ulcerative lesion on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue noted on exam. The patient reports mild pain, intermittent bleeding, and a recent change in lesion size. The clinician performs a focused head and neck exam, documents lesion characteristics (size, location, induration, mobility), and reviews medical history and anticoagulation status. After informed consent, the patient is taken to a procedure room or outpatient surgery suite where local anesthesia (with or without sedation) is administered. The provider makes an incision in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and excises the lesion or affected tissue for diagnostic biopsy, controlling hemostasis and closing with absorbable sutures as indicated. Specimens are labeled and sent to pathology. Post-procedure instructions include airway precautions, diet modifications, analgesia plan, and follow-up for pathology results. Typical sites of service are the ambulatory surgical center, hospital outpatient department, or office-based procedure room depending on complexity and anesthesia needs.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal (primary) procedure	Use when this code represents the primary service performed during the encounter
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the excision required significantly greater work, complexity, or time than typical due to extensive dissection or hemostasis
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when general anesthesia or deep sedation is required for a procedure typically done with local anesthesia
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional interpretation component (rare for a surgical biopsy)
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when bilateral lesions are separately excised and payer allows bilateral reporting for oral procedures
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional unrelated procedures are performed at the same session
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as documented
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a procedure is separate and distinct from other services on the same day (e.g., separate biopsy sites)
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the exact procedure is repeated later the same day by the same physician

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`2086S0111X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Common specialty performing tongue biopsies and oral cavity surgery
`207L00000X`	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	Performs excisions, complex tongue resections, and reconstruction
`207Q00000X`	General Surgery	May perform oral cavity biopsies in hospital settings
`207X00000X`	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	Involved when complex closure or reconstruction is needed
`363L00000X`	Pathology (Clinical & Anatomic)	Processes and interprets biopsy specimens (clinical relationship rather than procedure performer)

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K13.0`	Leukoplakia of oral mucosa, including tongue	Premalignant white plaque prompting biopsy of the tongue
`K13.1`	Erythroplakia of oral mucosa	Red velvety lesions of tongue with high dysplasia risk requiring excisional biopsy
`C02.9`	Malignant neoplasm of tongue, unspecified	Suspicion of tongue cancer warranting diagnostic excision and pathology
`R22.9`	Localized swelling, mass and lump, unspecified	Palpable tongue mass necessitating tissue diagnosis
`K14.8`	Other diseases of tongue	Includes inflammatory or other lesions that may need biopsy to establish diagnosis

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`40490`	Biopsy, lip; excision of lesion or tissue, single or multiple	Alternative oral cavity biopsy code when lesion is on lip rather than tongue; may be performed in the same clinical workflow for adjacent lesions
`41105`	Excision of lesion of tongue, partial glossectomy; hemiglossectomy	More extensive surgical resection when lesion requires partial glossectomy rather than localized biopsy
`41010`	Biopsy, oral mucosa (including tangential and punch biopsy techniques)	Less extensive biopsy techniques that may be used for small, superficial tongue lesions
`99100`	Anesthesia for procedures performed in remote location of the hospital (e.g., radiology, MR)	May be reported if additional anesthesia resources are required in a different setting; used per payer rules
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for established patient, moderate complexity	Typical pre- or post-procedure office visit code for evaluation and management related to the biopsy procedure

CPT 41105: Posterior Tongue Biopsy, Excisional

CPT-41108-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41108: Biopsy, Incision and Excision of Floor of Mouth Tissue

CPT-41110-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41110: Excision of Lesion from Tongue

CPT-41112-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-ANTERIOR-TWO-THIRDS

CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

CPT-41113-EXCISION-LESION-POSTERIOR-TONGUE

CPT 41113: Excision of Lesion, Posterior One-Third of Tongue

CPT-41114-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-LOCAL-FLAP-REPAIR

CPT 41114: Tongue Lesion Excision with Local Flap Repair

CPT-41115-LINGUAL-FRENUM-EXCISION-BASE-OF-TONGUE

CPT 41115: Excision of Lingual Frenum at Base of Tongue

CPT-41116-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41116: Excision of Lesion, Floor of Mouth

CPT-41120-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LESS-THAN-HALF-TONGUE

CPT 41120: Partial Glossectomy, Less Than Half of Tongue

CPT-41130-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LATERAL-TONGUE-RESECTION

CPT 41130: Partial Glossectomy, Lateral Half of Tongue

Showing 1–10 of 16

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal (primary) procedure	Use when this code represents the primary service performed during the encounter
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the excision required significantly greater work, complexity, or time than typical due to extensive dissection or hemostasis
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when general anesthesia or deep sedation is required for a procedure typically done with local anesthesia
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional interpretation component (rare for a surgical biopsy)
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when bilateral lesions are separately excised and payer allows bilateral reporting for oral procedures
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional unrelated procedures are performed at the same session
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as documented
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a procedure is separate and distinct from other services on the same day (e.g., separate biopsy sites)
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the exact procedure is repeated later the same day by the same physician

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`2086S0111X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Common specialty performing tongue biopsies and oral cavity surgery
`207L00000X`	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	Performs excisions, complex tongue resections, and reconstruction
`207Q00000X`	General Surgery	May perform oral cavity biopsies in hospital settings
`207X00000X`	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	Involved when complex closure or reconstruction is needed
`363L00000X`	Pathology (Clinical & Anatomic)	Processes and interprets biopsy specimens (clinical relationship rather than procedure performer)

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K13.0`	Leukoplakia of oral mucosa, including tongue	Premalignant white plaque prompting biopsy of the tongue
`K13.1`	Erythroplakia of oral mucosa	Red velvety lesions of tongue with high dysplasia risk requiring excisional biopsy
`C02.9`	Malignant neoplasm of tongue, unspecified	Suspicion of tongue cancer warranting diagnostic excision and pathology
`R22.9`	Localized swelling, mass and lump, unspecified	Palpable tongue mass necessitating tissue diagnosis
`K14.8`	Other diseases of tongue	Includes inflammatory or other lesions that may need biopsy to establish diagnosis

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`40490`	Biopsy, lip; excision of lesion or tissue, single or multiple	Alternative oral cavity biopsy code when lesion is on lip rather than tongue; may be performed in the same clinical workflow for adjacent lesions
`41105`	Excision of lesion of tongue, partial glossectomy; hemiglossectomy	More extensive surgical resection when lesion requires partial glossectomy rather than localized biopsy
`41010`	Biopsy, oral mucosa (including tangential and punch biopsy techniques)	Less extensive biopsy techniques that may be used for small, superficial tongue lesions
`99100`	Anesthesia for procedures performed in remote location of the hospital (e.g., radiology, MR)	May be reported if additional anesthesia resources are required in a different setting; used per payer rules
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for established patient, moderate complexity	Typical pre- or post-procedure office visit code for evaluation and management related to the biopsy procedure

CPT 41105: Posterior Tongue Biopsy, Excisional

CPT-41108-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41108: Biopsy, Incision and Excision of Floor of Mouth Tissue

CPT-41110-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41110: Excision of Lesion from Tongue

CPT-41112-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-ANTERIOR-TWO-THIRDS

CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

CPT-41113-EXCISION-LESION-POSTERIOR-TONGUE

CPT 41113: Excision of Lesion, Posterior One-Third of Tongue

CPT-41114-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-LOCAL-FLAP-REPAIR

CPT 41114: Tongue Lesion Excision with Local Flap Repair

CPT-41115-LINGUAL-FRENUM-EXCISION-BASE-OF-TONGUE

CPT 41115: Excision of Lingual Frenum at Base of Tongue

CPT-41116-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41116: Excision of Lesion, Floor of Mouth

CPT-41120-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LESS-THAN-HALF-TONGUE

CPT 41120: Partial Glossectomy, Less Than Half of Tongue

CPT-41130-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LATERAL-TONGUE-RESECTION

CPT 41130: Partial Glossectomy, Lateral Half of Tongue

Showing 1–10 of 16

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References