CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

Medicare pays $104 on average nationally for this procedure.

CPT code 70490 describes a computed tomography (CT) exam of the neck focused on soft tissue structures performed without intravenous contrast; this imaging service is a diagnostic CT of the neck (soft tissues) typically provided in an outpatient radiology department or ambulatory imaging center, used to evaluate soft-tissue anatomy such as glands, pharyngeal structures, and suspected masses or inflammatory processes.

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CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

Medicare pays $104 on average nationally for this procedure.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 70490 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 70490 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient presenting for 70490 is an adult or pediatric patient with symptoms localized to the neck soft tissues such as a palpable neck mass, suspected lymphadenopathy, evaluation of a known neck infection or abscess, trauma to the anterior neck, or concern for soft tissue foreign body. The clinical workflow begins with the referring clinician (often primary care, otolaryngology, or emergency medicine) documenting history and indication for a noncontrast CT of the neck soft tissues. The patient is screened for contraindications to CT (e.g., inability to cooperate, pregnancy concerns) and informed consent for imaging is obtained according to site policy.

On the day of service the patient is registered in the radiology department or imaging center (typical site of service: outpatient radiology suite, hospital radiology department, or emergency department imaging). A technologist performs the CT acquisition per protocol for neck soft tissues without intravenous contrast. Images are archived to PACS and a radiologist interprets the study, generating a report that addresses the indication (mass characterization, infection extent, airway compromise, fracture evaluation of soft tissue structures, etc.). The radiologist’s report and any recommended follow-up are sent to the referring clinician for management decisions. Billing uses 70490 to represent the CT exam of the neck soft tissues performed without contrast, with appropriate modifiers appended as clinically applicable.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`70486`	CT head/brain with and without contrast material	May be performed when combined head and neck evaluation for intracranial extension or simultaneous head pathology is needed
`70487`	CT head/brain without contrast material	Performed when isolated noncontrast head evaluation is required alongside neck imaging
`70491`	CT neck soft tissues with contrast	Alternative study when IV contrast is required for lesion characterization or vascular assessment
`71260`	CT thorax without contrast	Performed when extension of pathology into the chest is suspected and combined chest imaging is indicated
`76536`	Ultrasound neck, soft tissue or mass	Often used as an adjunct or first-line imaging for thyroid or superficial neck masses prior to CT
`74177`	CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast, single or multi-phase (example for staging)	Performed when systemic disease or metastatic workup is needed in conjunction with neck imaging

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
76	Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…	- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
77	Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…	- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
207Q00000X	Family Medicine Physician	Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
2084P0800X	Psychiatry Physician	A Psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders, emotional disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, …
207L00000X	Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
364SR0400X	Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Clinical Nurse Specialist
363LC0200X	Critical Care Medicine Nurse Practitioner	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Nurse Practitioner
2084B0040X	Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Physician	Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry is a medical subspecialty involving the diagnosis and treatment of neurologically based behavioral issues.

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

27 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
C02.9	Malignant neoplasm of tongue, unspecified
C09.9	Malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified
C32.9	Malignant neoplasm of larynx, unspecified
G44.1	Vascular headache, not elsewhere classified
I77.6	Arteritis, unspecified
J02.9	Acute pharyngitis, unspecified
J31.0	Chronic rhinitis
J35.1	Hypertrophy of tonsils
J38.00	Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified
J38.1	Polyp of vocal cord and larynx

Showing 1–10 of 27

CPT 70010: CT Posterior Cranial Fossa With Contrast

CPT-70015-BASAL-CISTERN-BRAIN-IMAGING-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 70015: Basal Cistern Brain Imaging, Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-70030-EYE-XRAY-FOREIGN-BODY-EVALUATION

CPT 70030: Orbital X‑ray for Foreign Body Evaluation

CPT-70100-MANDIBLE-X-RAY-ONE-TO-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70100: Mandible X‑ray, 1–3 Views

CPT-70110-MANDIBLE-X-RAY-4-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 70110: Mandible X‑ray, Four or More Views

CPT-70120-MASTOID-X-RAY-FEWER-THAN-3-VIEWS

CPT 70120: Mastoid X‑ray, Limited (fewer than 3 views per side)

CPT-70130-MASTOID-X-RAY-SERIES-MASTOIDITIS-VESTIBULAR-EVALUATION

CPT 70130: Mastoid X‑ray, Minimum Three Views Per Side

CPT-70134-INTERNAL-AUDITORY-CANAL-RADIOGRAPHY

CPT 70134: X‑ray of Internal Auditory Canals and Temporal Bone

CPT-70140-FACIAL-BONES-XRAY-FEWER-THAN-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70140: Facial Bones X‑Ray, Fewer Than Three Views

CPT-70150-FACIAL-BONES-XRAY-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70150: Facial Bones X‑ray, Three Views

Showing 1–10 of 66

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`70486`	CT head/brain with and without contrast material	May be performed when combined head and neck evaluation for intracranial extension or simultaneous head pathology is needed
`70487`	CT head/brain without contrast material	Performed when isolated noncontrast head evaluation is required alongside neck imaging
`70491`	CT neck soft tissues with contrast	Alternative study when IV contrast is required for lesion characterization or vascular assessment
`71260`	CT thorax without contrast	Performed when extension of pathology into the chest is suspected and combined chest imaging is indicated
`76536`	Ultrasound neck, soft tissue or mass	Often used as an adjunct or first-line imaging for thyroid or superficial neck masses prior to CT
`74177`	CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast, single or multi-phase (example for staging)	Performed when systemic disease or metastatic workup is needed in conjunction with neck imaging

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
76	Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…	- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
77	Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…	- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
207Q00000X	Family Medicine Physician	Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
2084P0800X	Psychiatry Physician	A Psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders, emotional disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, …
207L00000X	Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
364SR0400X	Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Clinical Nurse Specialist
363LC0200X	Critical Care Medicine Nurse Practitioner	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Nurse Practitioner
2084B0040X	Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Physician	Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry is a medical subspecialty involving the diagnosis and treatment of neurologically based behavioral issues.

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

27 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
C02.9	Malignant neoplasm of tongue, unspecified
C09.9	Malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified
C32.9	Malignant neoplasm of larynx, unspecified
G44.1	Vascular headache, not elsewhere classified
I77.6	Arteritis, unspecified
J02.9	Acute pharyngitis, unspecified
J31.0	Chronic rhinitis
J35.1	Hypertrophy of tonsils
J38.00	Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified
J38.1	Polyp of vocal cord and larynx

Showing 1–10 of 27

CPT 70010: CT Posterior Cranial Fossa With Contrast

CPT-70015-BASAL-CISTERN-BRAIN-IMAGING-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 70015: Basal Cistern Brain Imaging, Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-70030-EYE-XRAY-FOREIGN-BODY-EVALUATION

CPT 70030: Orbital X‑ray for Foreign Body Evaluation

CPT-70100-MANDIBLE-X-RAY-ONE-TO-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70100: Mandible X‑ray, 1–3 Views

CPT-70110-MANDIBLE-X-RAY-4-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 70110: Mandible X‑ray, Four or More Views

CPT-70120-MASTOID-X-RAY-FEWER-THAN-3-VIEWS

CPT 70120: Mastoid X‑ray, Limited (fewer than 3 views per side)

CPT-70130-MASTOID-X-RAY-SERIES-MASTOIDITIS-VESTIBULAR-EVALUATION

CPT 70130: Mastoid X‑ray, Minimum Three Views Per Side

CPT-70134-INTERNAL-AUDITORY-CANAL-RADIOGRAPHY

CPT 70134: X‑ray of Internal Auditory Canals and Temporal Bone

CPT-70140-FACIAL-BONES-XRAY-FEWER-THAN-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70140: Facial Bones X‑Ray, Fewer Than Three Views

CPT-70150-FACIAL-BONES-XRAY-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 70150: Facial Bones X‑ray, Three Views

Showing 1–10 of 66

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

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

OpenPayer

CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

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CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

Sign up for cpt 70490 policy alerts

CPT 70490: CT Neck Soft Tissue, No Contrast

Sign up for cpt 70490 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What clinical scenarios and setting does CPT 70490 cover?

Which billing modifiers are applicable to CPT 70490 and when are they used?

How does CPT 70490 relate to other imaging codes for head, neck, and adjacent regions?

What diagnoses are typically billed with CPT 70490?

Which payers and policy topics are highlighted for CPT 70490, and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What clinical scenarios and setting does CPT 70490 cover?

Which billing modifiers are applicable to CPT 70490 and when are they used?

How does CPT 70490 relate to other imaging codes for head, neck, and adjacent regions?

What diagnoses are typically billed with CPT 70490?

Which payers and policy topics are highlighted for CPT 70490, and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References