Pleural plaque with presence of asbestos

This code identifies the presence of benign, localized fibrous thickening of the pleura (pleural plaques) that are directly attributed to asbestos exposure. These plaques are typically asymptomatic and represent a marker of past asbestos inhalation, rather than an active disease process.

Use this code when diagnostic imaging (e.g., chest X-ray, CT scan) confirms pleural plaques and the patient's medical history explicitly documents prior asbestos exposure. This diagnosis is often made during routine screenings or work-up for other respiratory conditions in individuals with occupational asbestos exposure.

• Ensure documentation clearly links the pleural plaques to asbestos exposure; otherwise, a non-asbestos-related pleural plaque code may be more appropriate.
• This code is typically a secondary diagnosis, as pleural plaques themselves are usually asymptomatic.
• Do not confuse with malignant mesothelioma or other asbestos-related lung diseases, which have distinct ICD-10-CM codes.