Summary & Overview
CPT 82370: Stone Composition Analysis by X-ray Diffraction
CPT code 82370 represents an X-ray diffraction laboratory test used to determine the mineral composition of a calculus from renal, ureteral, bladder, or gall bladder origin. Identifying stone composition informs clinical evaluation, potential metabolic workups, and targeted follow-up care, making the code clinically relevant across urology, nephrology, and gastroenterology settings nationwide. Nationally, this analytic procedure supports diagnostic precision for recurrent stone formers and cases where composition alters management.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and which stakeholders commonly reimburse this laboratory service. The content outlines expected use cases, core clinical implications of composition results, and operational considerations for laboratories and ordering clinicians.
The publication provides benchmarks and coding guidance where available, summarizes relevant policy or coverage themes affecting laboratory procedural claims, and clarifies how CPT code 82370 fits within laboratory service lines. Data not available in the input is noted explicitly when applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82370 describes an X-ray diffraction analysis performed by a laboratory analyst to determine the composition of a calculus. The test identifies mineral components commonly found in calculi, including calcium, carbonate, cystine, magnesium, oxalate, phosphates, urates, and xanthine.
Service Type: Laboratory diagnostic test — stone composition analysis (X-ray diffraction)
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory, with specimens originating from renal, ureteral, bladder, or gall bladder calculi.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old outpatient presents after passing a kidney stone and bringing the specimen to the clinic. The patient has flank pain and a history of recurrent nephrolithiasis. The clinician orders stone composition analysis to identify mineral content and guide metabolic evaluation and prevention strategies. The specimen is logged in the laboratory, visually inspected, and prepared for 82370 analysis. A laboratory analyst performs X-ray diffraction testing to determine the calculus composition (for example, calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, cystine, struvite), documents findings in the laboratory information system, and releases results to the ordering provider for clinical correlation and treatment planning. Typical sites of service include hospital outpatient laboratories, freestanding clinical laboratories, ambulatory surgical centers when a retrieved stone is submitted, and inpatient hospital laboratories when a specimen is collected during admission.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional interpretation component of the test, if applicable in split professional/technical reporting arrangements. |
TC |