Summary & Overview
CPT 62328: Image-Guided CSF Collection (Lumbar Puncture)
CPT code 62328 describes an image-guided cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection performed under fluoroscopic or CT guidance and submitted to the laboratory for diagnostic testing. This procedure is clinically important for excluding central nervous system infections such as meningitis and for collecting data relevant to neurologic diagnoses, including cerebral palsy. Nationally, the code is relevant across hospital and outpatient imaging settings where advanced imaging guidance is available.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on clinical context, typical sites of service, common service line classifications, and payer coverage considerations. The publication summarizes benchmark utilization patterns, relevant policy updates affecting imaging-guided lumbar puncture services, and operational considerations for coding and documentation. Where specific input data are missing, the text notes that the information is not available in the input. The content is intended for administrators, coders, and clinicians seeking a national overview of clinical purpose, service context, and payer coverage landscape for CPT code 62328.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 62328 describes a procedure in which a provider obtains a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) under fluoroscopic or CT imaging guidance and sends the specimen to the laboratory for examination. This procedure is commonly performed to rule out meningitis or to assist in diagnosing conditions such as cerebral palsy.
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Service type: Image-guided diagnostic CSF collection (lumbar puncture with fluoroscopic or CT guidance)
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Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or outpatient radiology suite; ambulatory surgical center or imaging center where fluoroscopy or CT guidance is available.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 28-year-old patient presents to the hospital emergency department with acute onset high fever, nuchal rigidity, photophobia, and altered mental status. After initial triage and laboratory evaluation, the treating physician suspects infectious meningitis and orders imaging-guided lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for cell count, Gram stain, culture, and PCR testing. The procedure is scheduled in the fluoroscopy suite where the patient is positioned in lateral decubitus or sitting depending on clinical status. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the provider identifies the appropriate interspace, administers local anesthetic, advances the spinal needle into the subarachnoid space while confirming needle position with fluoroscopy, and obtains CSF samples which are labeled and sent to the laboratory.
The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure consent and coagulation review, sedation or analgesia as indicated, sterile preparation and draping, image-guided needle placement, CSF collection and sample handling, post-procedure observation for headache or neurological change, and documentation of the procedure, findings, and specimens sent. Typical indications include ruling out bacterial or viral meningitis, evaluating subarachnoid hemorrhage when imaging is inconclusive, or obtaining CSF for diagnostic testing in neurometabolic or inflammatory conditions.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component |