Malignant neoplasm of lingual tonsil

This code represents a cancerous tumor originating in the lingual tonsils, which are lymphoid tissues located at the base of the tongue. This malignancy is a type of head and neck cancer affecting the oropharynx.

Use this code when documentation explicitly identifies a primary malignant neoplasm of the lingual tonsil. This diagnosis is typically confirmed through biopsy and histopathological examination. Supporting documentation will include pathology reports and physician notes detailing the tumor's location.

• Differentiate carefully between lingual tonsil and palatine tonsil involvement; the latter is coded differently.
• Ensure the documentation specifies "lingual tonsil" and not just "tonsil" to avoid miscoding with C09.9.
• Always review pathology reports for definitive site identification and malignancy confirmation.