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CPT 78102: Limited-Area Bone Imaging After Radiotracer Administration

CPT code 78102 represents a limited-area nuclear medicine bone imaging study performed after intravenous administration of a radiopharmaceutical. This focused diagnostic procedure captures bone marrow or bone tissue radiotracer uptake in a localized anatomical region, supporting evaluation of focal pathology such as localized infection, fracture, or focal metabolic activity. Nationally, bone scintigraphy remains an important noninvasive tool in musculoskeletal and oncologic imaging because it can detect physiologic changes before structural changes appear on radiography.

Key payers addressed in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for using a limited-area bone scan, customary settings where the service is provided (outpatient imaging centers and hospital nuclear medicine departments), and what typical reporting and coding considerations accompany a focal bone scintigraphy service. The publication outlines benchmarks and common billing practices where available, and summarizes policy or coverage themes affecting nuclear medicine bone imaging nationally. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 78102 describes a limited area bone imaging procedure performed after intravenous administration of a radiopharmaceutical (radiotracer). The study images bone tissue where the tracer localizes and is used to visualize distribution and uptake within a restricted anatomical region rather than a whole-body or multiple-region exam.

Service type: Diagnostic nuclear medicine bone imaging, limited area

Typical site of service: Outpatient imaging center or hospital radiology/nuclear medicine department

Data not available in the input.

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CPT 78102: Limited-Area Bone Imaging After Radiotracer Administration

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Diagnostic nuclear medicine bone imaging, limited area

Typical site of service: Outpatient imaging center or hospital radiology/nuclear medicine department

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old outpatient with a history of prostate cancer presents with new onset localized bone pain of the right hip. The referring oncologist requests focused bone imaging to evaluate for suspected metastatic involvement limited to the pelvic region. The nuclear medicine team schedules a limited-area bone scan after intravenous administration of a technetium-labeled radiopharmaceutical. The patient arrives to an outpatient imaging center or hospital nuclear medicine department; an IV is placed, the tracer is injected, and after appropriate uptake time the technologist and interpreting physician acquire planar and/or limited-field SPECT images of the targeted pelvic bones. The interpreting nuclear medicine physician documents findings, compares with prior imaging if available, and issues a report to the referring provider. Billing is submitted using 78102 for bone marrow (bone) imaging of a limited area, with the professional and technical components split as appropriate and modifiers appended per payer rules (for example, professional component 26 when reporting only interpretation).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the physician interpretation/report for the study.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component (equipment, technologist, tracer).
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service performed is reduced in scope from usual for clinical reasons.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure was started but terminated due to patient condition.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when only postoperative care is billed, not typical for this diagnostic study but applicable if relevant.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons are involved in a procedure; rarely applicable but included in vendor list.
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure	Use when patient returns to the operating room for a related reason; seldom used for this imaging code.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon participates in a procedure; uncommon for diagnostic imaging.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (novice)	Use when assistant surgeon without formal training participates; uncommon for diagnostic imaging.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when documentation supports substantially greater work than usual for the procedure.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when unusual anesthesia is required for the procedure.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical imaging is performed bilaterally and payer allows bilateral modifier for the code.
`62`	Duplicate listed above intentionally omitted in use table	When applicable per payer rules.
`QK`	Medical direction of two or more assistants	Use in complex procedural cases requiring medical direction; rarely used for this code.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207K00000X	Radiology	Diagnostic imaging specialists who interpret nuclear medicine bone scans.
2085R0206X	Nuclear Medicine	Physicians specialized in nuclear medicine who perform and interpret bone scintigraphy.
2080P0207X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists who may interpret nuclear medicine studies in hospital or outpatient settings.
261QM0800X	Oncology	Medical oncologists who commonly refer patients for targeted bone imaging for metastatic evaluation.
207L00000X	Radiological Technology	Nuclear medicine technologists (credentialing taxonomy for providers of technical component)

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`78106`	Whole body bone imaging, with or without static imaging	Performed when diffuse skeletal survey is required instead of a limited-area study like `78102`.
`78306`	Bone imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of one or more areas; limited area	SPECT may be performed in conjunction with or as an alternative to planar limited-area imaging to provide tomographic detail.
`79003`	Radiopharmaceutical localization of tumor or distribution of radiopharmaceutical agent, quantitative, single study, single area	May be used for specific radiopharmaceutical localization studies when quantitative assessment is performed alongside `78102`.
`71046`	Radiologic examination, chest, 2 views	May be ordered as adjunct imaging when chest metastasis assessment is part of the staging workflow.
`78320`	Bone imaging, tomographic (SPECT), each additional area	Used when multiple regions require SPECT imaging in addition to the limited-area planar study billed as `78102`.

Related Codes

CPT-78103-NUCLEAR-MEDICINE-BONE-SCAN

CPT 78103: Nuclear Medicine Bone Scan, Whole Body/Multi-Phase

CPT-78104-WHOLE-BODY-BONE-SCAN

CPT 78104: Whole-Body Bone Scan, Skeletal Scintigraphy

CPT-78110-SINGLE-SAMPLE-PLASMA-VOLUME-DETERMINATION

CPT 78110: Single-Sample Plasma Volume Determination

CPT-78111-PLASMA-VOLUME-MULTIPLE-SAMPLE-METHOD

CPT 78111: Plasma Volume Measurement, Multiple Sample Method

CPT-78120-RADIOLABELED-SINGLE-SAMPLE-RED-CELL-VOLUME

CPT 78120: Single-Sample Radiolabeled Red Cell Volume Determination

CPT-78121-RED-CELL-VOLUME-MULTIPLE-SAMPLE-METHOD

CPT 78121: Red Cell Volume Measurement, Multiple Sample Method

CPT-78122-WHOLE-BLOOD-VOLUME-STUDY-ISOTOPE-DILUTION

CPT 78122: Whole Blood Volume Study via Isotope Dilution

CPT-78130-RED-BLOOD-CELL-SURVIVAL-STUDY-AUTOLOGOUS-RADIOLABEL

CPT 78130: Red Blood Cell Survival Study, Autologous Radiolabel

CPT-78140-LIVER-SPLEEN-RADIOLABELED-RED-BLOOD-CELL-SCAN

CPT 78140: Liver and Spleen Scan with Radiolabeled Autologous Red Blood Cells

CPT-78185-SPLEEN-RADIONUCLIDE-SCAN-SPLENIC-IMAGING

CPT 78185: Radionuclide Spleen Study

Showing 1–10 of 13

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
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the physician interpretation/report for the study.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component (equipment, technologist, tracer).
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service performed is reduced in scope from usual for clinical reasons.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure was started but terminated due to patient condition.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when only postoperative care is billed, not typical for this diagnostic study but applicable if relevant.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons are involved in a procedure; rarely applicable but included in vendor list.
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure	Use when patient returns to the operating room for a related reason; seldom used for this imaging code.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon participates in a procedure; uncommon for diagnostic imaging.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (novice)	Use when assistant surgeon without formal training participates; uncommon for diagnostic imaging.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when documentation supports substantially greater work than usual for the procedure.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when unusual anesthesia is required for the procedure.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical imaging is performed bilaterally and payer allows bilateral modifier for the code.
`62`	Duplicate listed above intentionally omitted in use table	When applicable per payer rules.
`QK`	Medical direction of two or more assistants	Use in complex procedural cases requiring medical direction; rarely used for this code.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207K00000X	Radiology	Diagnostic imaging specialists who interpret nuclear medicine bone scans.
2085R0206X	Nuclear Medicine	Physicians specialized in nuclear medicine who perform and interpret bone scintigraphy.
2080P0207X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists who may interpret nuclear medicine studies in hospital or outpatient settings.
261QM0800X	Oncology	Medical oncologists who commonly refer patients for targeted bone imaging for metastatic evaluation.
207L00000X	Radiological Technology	Nuclear medicine technologists (credentialing taxonomy for providers of technical component)

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`78106`	Whole body bone imaging, with or without static imaging	Performed when diffuse skeletal survey is required instead of a limited-area study like `78102`.
`78306`	Bone imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of one or more areas; limited area	SPECT may be performed in conjunction with or as an alternative to planar limited-area imaging to provide tomographic detail.
`79003`	Radiopharmaceutical localization of tumor or distribution of radiopharmaceutical agent, quantitative, single study, single area	May be used for specific radiopharmaceutical localization studies when quantitative assessment is performed alongside `78102`.
`71046`	Radiologic examination, chest, 2 views	May be ordered as adjunct imaging when chest metastasis assessment is part of the staging workflow.
`78320`	Bone imaging, tomographic (SPECT), each additional area	Used when multiple regions require SPECT imaging in addition to the limited-area planar study billed as `78102`.

Related Codes

CPT-78103-NUCLEAR-MEDICINE-BONE-SCAN

CPT 78103: Nuclear Medicine Bone Scan, Whole Body/Multi-Phase

CPT-78104-WHOLE-BODY-BONE-SCAN

CPT 78104: Whole-Body Bone Scan, Skeletal Scintigraphy

CPT-78110-SINGLE-SAMPLE-PLASMA-VOLUME-DETERMINATION

CPT 78110: Single-Sample Plasma Volume Determination

CPT-78111-PLASMA-VOLUME-MULTIPLE-SAMPLE-METHOD

CPT 78111: Plasma Volume Measurement, Multiple Sample Method

CPT-78120-RADIOLABELED-SINGLE-SAMPLE-RED-CELL-VOLUME

CPT 78120: Single-Sample Radiolabeled Red Cell Volume Determination

CPT-78121-RED-CELL-VOLUME-MULTIPLE-SAMPLE-METHOD

CPT 78121: Red Cell Volume Measurement, Multiple Sample Method

CPT-78122-WHOLE-BLOOD-VOLUME-STUDY-ISOTOPE-DILUTION

CPT 78122: Whole Blood Volume Study via Isotope Dilution

CPT-78130-RED-BLOOD-CELL-SURVIVAL-STUDY-AUTOLOGOUS-RADIOLABEL

CPT 78130: Red Blood Cell Survival Study, Autologous Radiolabel

CPT-78140-LIVER-SPLEEN-RADIOLABELED-RED-BLOOD-CELL-SCAN

CPT 78140: Liver and Spleen Scan with Radiolabeled Autologous Red Blood Cells

CPT-78185-SPLEEN-RADIONUCLIDE-SCAN-SPLENIC-IMAGING

CPT 78185: Radionuclide Spleen Study

Showing 1–10 of 13

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 78102: Limited-Area Bone Imaging After Radiotracer Administration

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 78102: Limited-Area Bone Imaging After Radiotracer Administration

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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