Summary & Overview
CPT 78282: Nuclear Medicine Stool Study for Protein-Losing Enteropathy
CPT code 78282 covers a diagnostic nuclear medicine stool analysis performed after intravenous administration of a radiopharmaceutical to detect and quantify abnormal protein loss or malabsorption in the gastrointestinal tract. This specialized test helps identify protein-losing enteropathy from causes such as bacterial or parasitic infections, Crohn’s disease, lymphoma, and other structural or inflammatory conditions. Nationally, the code matters for diagnostic pathways in gastroenterology, for utilization in hospitals and outpatient imaging centers, and for distinguishing specialized nuclear medicine services from routine laboratory testing.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context for when the study is used, typical sites of service, and the role this code plays in diagnostic evaluation of suspected protein-losing enteropathy. The publication presents benchmarks and service-line implications where available, summarizes relevant policy and reimbursement considerations, and situates the code within nuclear medicine and gastroenterology diagnostic workflows.
Data not available in the input for specific associated taxonomies, ICD-10 pairings, and comparator codes.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 78282 describes a nuclear medicine stool study in which a provider analyzes stool after intravenous injection of a radiopharmaceutical or tracer to detect and quantify abnormal loss of protein from the gastrointestinal tract or impaired protein absorption. The test is used to evaluate conditions that cause protein-losing enteropathy such as intestinal infections, Crohn’s disease, lymphoma, and other disorders that disrupt intestinal protein handling.
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Service type: Diagnostic nuclear medicine study to assess protein loss from the digestive tract
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department, radiology or nuclear medicine department, or specialized diagnostic imaging center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 42-year-old patient with chronic diarrhea, peripheral edema, and unexplained hypoalbuminemia is referred for evaluation of suspected protein-losing enteropathy. The gastroenterologist orders a radiolabeled stool protein test to detect and quantify gastrointestinal protein loss. The clinical workflow: the nuclear medicine team intravenously administers a radiopharmaceutical (commonly technetium-labeled albumin or equivalent tracer), collects timed stool specimens over the prescribed period, and the laboratory or nuclear medicine provider analyzes the stool to quantify tracer loss. Results are interpreted by the reporting physician and used to support diagnoses such as Crohn disease, intestinal lymphangiectasia, intestinal infection, or lymphoma causing mucosal protein loss. Typical site of service is an outpatient nuclear medicine or hospital-based imaging department; inpatient testing can occur when the patient is admitted for workup. The service type is a diagnostic nuclear medicine stool analysis for protein-losing enteropathy using an intravenous radiotracer (78282).
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician interpretation/reporting portion of the test separate from technical services |