Summary & Overview
CPT 78232: Salivary Gland Scintigraphy (Parotid Function)
CPT code 78232 represents a nuclear medicine diagnostic study—salivary gland scintigraphy—used to evaluate salivary gland uptake and secretion after intravenous administration of a radiopharmaceutical. The test provides functional information about the parotid and other salivary glands and is used in clinical settings to assess glandular dysfunction, obstructive sialadenitis, or the effects of systemic disease and treatment on salivary function. Nationally, accurate coding of this procedure affects imaging utilization metrics, coverage decisions, and reimbursement for outpatient and hospital-based nuclear medicine services.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise policy and billing summary for CPT code 78232, clinical context explaining when the test is used, and benchmarking elements commonly reviewed by payers and providers. The publication outlines typical sites of service and service type, highlights payer coverage considerations where available, and identifies common modifiers reported with nuclear medicine imaging claims. This material is intended to orient billing staff, radiology administrators, and policy analysts to the clinical purpose and billing context of CPT code 78232 at a national level.
Data not available in the input for payor-specific coverage rules, associated taxonomies, related codes, ICD-10 pairings, or detailed service-line financial benchmarks.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 78232 describes a salivary gland scintigraphy study in which the provider evaluates salivary gland function after intravenous injection of a radiopharmaceutical or tracer. The procedure assesses the pattern of tracer uptake by the salivary glands and the glands' secretion of the tracer, commonly referred to as parotid gland scintigraphy.
Service Type: Nuclear medicine / diagnostic imaging functional study
Typical Site of Service: Outpatient imaging center or hospital radiology/nuclear medicine department
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult referred by an otolaryngologist for evaluation of suspected salivary gland dysfunction after symptoms such as chronic xerostomia (dry mouth), increased dental caries, recurrent sialadenitis, or suspected obstructive sialolithiasis. The patient arrives to the nuclear medicine department; intravenous access is established and a radiopharmaceutical tracer (commonly 99mTc-pertechnetate) is administered. Dynamic and static scintigraphic images of the parotid and submandibular glands are acquired to assess tracer uptake and excretory function. The provider documents patient history, indication, tracer and dose, image acquisition times, stimulation maneuvers (e.g., lemon juice or citric acid to provoke salivary secretion), quantitative curve analysis of uptake and excretion, and an impression describing unilateral or bilateral hypofunction, delayed uptake, obstructive pattern, or normal gland function. The resulting report guides further management such as sialendoscopy, medical therapy for Sjögren syndrome, or referral to dentistry or oral surgery. Typical site of service is an outpatient hospital radiology/nuclear medicine suite, freestanding imaging center, or inpatient hospital setting when clinically indicated.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the physician interpretation component of the salivary gland scintigraphy. |