Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease

This code represents a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by the accumulation of pigmented macrophages within the respiratory bronchioles, leading to interstitial fibrosis. It is a form of interstitial lung disease (ILD) primarily associated with cigarette smoking. Patients typically present with progressive dyspnea and cough.

This code is used when documentation explicitly states a diagnosis of respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD). It is appropriate for patients with a history of smoking and characteristic histopathological findings on lung biopsy, or when a presumptive diagnosis is made based on clinical and radiological features consistent with RB-ILD.

• Differentiate from other smoking-related ILDs like desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) or usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), which have distinct codes.
• Ensure documentation specifies "respiratory bronchiolitis" and "interstitial lung disease" to support this specific code.
• Code any associated symptoms, such as dyspnea (R06.02) or chronic cough (R05.4), as secondary diagnoses.