Rheumatic chorea with heart involvement

This code signifies a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, irregular, and unpredictable movements (chorea) that arises as a sequela of acute rheumatic fever, specifically when there is documented involvement of the heart. This cardiac involvement can manifest as carditis, valvulitis, or other rheumatic heart disease.

Use this code when the patient presents with chorea directly attributed to rheumatic fever and the medical record clearly indicates co-occurring cardiac complications. Documentation should explicitly link the chorea to rheumatic fever and detail the specific heart involvement, such as rheumatic carditis or valvular disease.

• Ensure documentation specifies both rheumatic chorea and the presence of heart involvement; if heart involvement is not documented, a different code for rheumatic chorea without heart involvement may be appropriate.
• Sequence this code as the primary diagnosis when the rheumatic chorea with heart involvement is the reason for the encounter.
• Do not confuse with chorea due to other causes (e.g., Huntington's disease, drug-induced chorea), which have distinct ICD-10-CM codes.