CPT 82633: 11–Desoxycorticosterone Measurement in Serum/Plasma/Urine

CPT code 82633 denotes a laboratory assay for 11–desoxycorticosterone measured in serum, plasma, or urine. The test assesses adrenal corticosteroid production and can inform evaluation of mineralocorticoid-related disorders and physiologic changes that occur in pregnancy. Nationally, lab-based endocrine assays like this code are important for diagnostic pathways, guiding further endocrine evaluation and management.

Key payers covered in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find context on the clinical utility of the assay, typical sites of service, and payer considerations relevant to laboratory billing. The publication also summarizes expected service classification, common billing modifiers (list provided in input), and where to find related clinical and coding references.

The content is intended to help clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts understand the code’s clinical role, typical use cases, and payer landscape at a national level. Data not available in the input is noted explicitly where applicable.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 82633 measures the level of 11–desoxycorticosterone in serum, plasma, or urine. This laboratory assay detects a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that normally rises during the last half of pregnancy. The test is a diagnostic laboratory service used to evaluate adrenal steroid production and electrolyte or blood pressure abnormalities potentially related to mineralocorticoid activity.

Service Type: Laboratory diagnostic test

Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory; specimen collection may occur in outpatient clinics or inpatient settings

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a pregnant woman in her second or third trimester referred by her obstetrician for laboratory measurement of 11‑desoxycorticosterone (DOC) to evaluate suspected disorders of mineralocorticoid synthesis or placental/adrenal steroid metabolism. Common clinical presentations prompting this test include refractory maternal hypertension in pregnancy, unexplained hypokalemia, features suggestive of congenital adrenal hyperplasia variants, or investigation of abnormal fetal growth with concern for endocrine causes. The clinical workflow begins with the ordering clinician documenting the indication and pregnancy status, collection of a timed blood or urine specimen (serum, plasma, or 24‑hour urine as indicated), proper labeling with patient identifiers and pregnancy gestational age, transport to the clinical laboratory, analytic measurement by immunoassay or mass spectrometry, result verification by a laboratory professional, and transmission of results to the ordering obstetrician or maternal‑fetal medicine specialist for interpretation in context of other steroid panels and clinical findings. Typical site of service is an outpatient laboratory or hospital clinical laboratory supporting obstetrics clinics and maternal‑fetal medicine units.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the physician professional interpretation or reading of the test result is reported separately from the technical laboratory component.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207Q00000X`	Obstetrics & Gynecology	Ordering clinicians frequently include OB/GYNs and maternal‑fetal medicine specialists for pregnancy‑related steroid testing.
`330L00000X`	Clinical Pathology	Laboratory directors and pathologists oversee test validation and result interpretation when specialized assays are performed.
`208800000X`	Family Medicine	Primary care or family physicians may order this test in non‑pregnant patients with suspected adrenal disorders.
`208200000X`	Endocrinology	Endocrinologists interpret adrenal steroid profiles and guide further endocrine management.
`207RH0000X`	Maternal‑Fetal Medicine	High‑risk pregnancy specialists frequently manage cases where DOC testing is clinically relevant.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`O09.892`	Supervision of other high‑risk pregnancy, second trimester	Used when monitoring steroid levels in a pregnancy complicated by hypertension or other endocrine concerns in the second trimester.
`O13.9`	Gestational (pregnancy‑induced) hypertension without significant proteinuria	DOC testing may be part of evaluation when hypertension is atypical or refractory.
`E25.0`	Congenital adrenogenital disorders associated with enzyme deficiency	DOC measurement assists in evaluating variants of congenital adrenal hyperplasia affecting mineralocorticoid synthesis.
`E27.1`	Primary adrenocortical insufficiency	DOC levels are relevant to assess adrenal steroidogenesis in suspected insufficiency.
`I10`	Essential (primary) hypertension	In nonpregnant patients with resistant hypertension, mineralocorticoid pathway testing including DOC can be part of the workup.
`E26.0`	Primary hyperaldosteronism	DOC, aldosterone, and renin testing are components of workup for mineralocorticoid excess contributing to hypokalemia and hypertension.
`O10.913`	Pre‑existing hypertension complicating pregnancy, third trimester	DOC measurement may be ordered in complex hypertensive disorders of pregnancy for endocrine evaluation.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`82633`	11‑desoxycorticosterone; measurement in serum, plasma, or urine	Primary analytic test measuring DOC levels; used to evaluate mineralocorticoid pathway and pregnancy‑related steroid changes.
`80055`	Pregnancy test, qualitative, serum, urine or other source; single	Performed in initial workup to confirm pregnancy status prior to interpreting pregnancy‑related steroid results.
`84436`	Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)	May be ordered in broader endocrine panels when evaluating reproductive endocrinopathies alongside steroid testing.
`82627`	Aldosterone; direct measurement	Often ordered with DOC to evaluate mineralocorticoid excess or deficiency and to differentiate adrenal causes of hypertension.
`82525`	Cortisol; total	Commonly ordered with DOC to assess adrenal cortical function comprehensively.
`80305`	Drug screen, presumptive, any number of drug classes; qualitative	Ordered as part of prenatal screening in certain clinical workflows where substance exposure may affect steroid metabolism.

Note: If additional related codes are required in a specific payer bundle or lab panel, local laboratory and payer policies determine bundling and reporting.

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Summary & Overview