Summary & Overview

CPT 60300: Needle or Catheter Drainage of Thyroid Cyst

CPT code 60300 denotes percutaneous needle or catheter drainage of a thyroid cyst, optionally performed with radiologic imaging guidance. This procedure is a focused, minimally invasive intervention to evacuate cystic fluid from the thyroid and can provide symptomatic relief, diagnostic fluid sampling, or both. Nationally, its utilization matters for clinical management of thyroid nodules and for outpatient procedural volume and resource planning.

Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context and typical settings for the service, payer coverage considerations, and benchmarking content where available. The publication summarizes common billing and coding considerations relevant to claims processing and documentation, and highlights areas where policy updates or payer-specific rules may affect reimbursement and prior authorization practices.

The piece is intended for clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts who need a concise reference on the clinical purpose of the code, typical care settings, and the payer landscape. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable, and the analysis focuses on national implications rather than state-specific rules.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCignaUnitedHealthcareMedicare60300CPTthyroidcyst drainageimage-guided procedureoutpatient procedureinterventional radiologyprocedure coding

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 60300 describes needle or catheter drainage of a thyroid cyst, a procedure in which a provider removes fluid from a cystic lesion in the thyroid gland. The service may include the use of radiologic imaging guidance to place the needle or catheter into the target area for drainage.

Service type: Interventional drainage procedure

Typical site of service: Outpatient procedure suite, ambulatory surgery center, or radiology department

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 46-year-old female presents to the outpatient radiology suite with a palpable, fluctuant midline neck mass and progressive anterior neck discomfort. Ultrasound evaluation demonstrates a 3.5 cm predominantly cystic thyroid nodule in the right thyroid lobe with internal septations and thin peripheral vascularity consistent with a benign thyroid cyst. The clinician schedules a percutaneous cyst drainage procedure using a fine needle aspiration or small-bore catheter. Under sterile technique and local anesthetic, the provider performs ultrasound-guided aspiration of cyst contents, confirms collapse of the cavity on real-time imaging, and sends fluid for cytology and culture as indicated. The typical workflow includes pre-procedure consent and time-out, ultrasound localization, local anesthesia, needle or catheter insertion with aspiration/drainage, post-procedure ultrasound to confirm decompression, application of a sterile dressing, and brief observation for bleeding or airway compromise before discharge. Typical sites of service are outpatient radiology procedure suites, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency departments, or office-based procedure rooms equipped for minor invasive procedures. The service type is a percutaneous, image-guided diagnostic/therapeutic drainage procedure of the thyroid cyst, corresponding to a minor ambulatory interventional procedure.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the physician interpretation/professional portion of an imaging service is billed separately (rare for this CPT which is a procedure).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207R00000X	Otolaryngology	ENT surgeons commonly perform thyroid cyst aspiration or drainage in clinic or OR.
2080P0206X	General Surgery	General surgeons with head and neck experience perform percutaneous thyroid procedures.
2084P0800X	Diagnostic Radiology	Interventional radiologists or radiologists perform image-guided thyroid cyst drainages.
208D00000X	Family Medicine	Some family physicians perform office-based thyroid aspirations.
208600000X	Internal Medicine	Endocrinologists and internal medicine providers may perform or supervise drainage in some settings.

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`E04.1`	Nontoxic single thyroid nodule	A common benign cause of a solitary cystic thyroid lesion that may require aspiration for symptomatic relief or diagnosis.
`E04.2`	Nontoxic multinodular goiter	Multiple nodules with dominant cystic change can present with symptomatic cysts requiring drainage.
`E07.1`	Thyroid cyst	Direct diagnosis indicating a cystic lesion amenable to percutaneous drainage.
`E01.1`	Iodine-deficiency related diffuse (endemic) goiter	Endemic goiter may present with cystic nodules; drainage may be therapeutic.
`R22.1`	Localized swelling, mass and lump, neck	Symptom code used when a neck mass from a thyroid cyst is the presenting complaint.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`10022`	Fine needle aspiration biopsy, without imaging guidance; first lesion	May be performed to obtain cytology from a thyroid nodule or cyst when diagnostic sampling is needed in addition to drainage.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, or localization); real-time	Commonly performed concurrently for real-time ultrasound guidance during percutaneous thyroid cyst drainage.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Frequently used pre-procedure for laboratory tests (coagulation profile) or post-procedure monitoring.
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient	Typical E/M level billed pre- or post-procedure when a separate, significant E/M is provided on the same day.
`60505`	Thyroid lobectomy, partial or complete; less extensive than total (Note: surgical code)	Surgical management that may be considered if cyst recurs or suspicion for malignancy persists after aspiration.

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