Felty's syndrome, left shoulder

This code signifies Felty's syndrome affecting the left shoulder. Felty's syndrome is a rare, severe complication of rheumatoid arthritis characterized by the triad of rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly, and neutropenia. The left shoulder involvement indicates a specific anatomical manifestation of the underlying rheumatoid arthritis component.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states a diagnosis of Felty's syndrome with specific involvement of the left shoulder joint. This typically occurs in patients with long-standing, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis who develop systemic complications. Supporting documentation should include physician notes detailing the diagnosis of Felty's syndrome and the affected joint.

• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "Felty's syndrome" and not just severe rheumatoid arthritis.
• Verify the laterality of the shoulder involvement; separate codes exist for right, bilateral, and unspecified shoulder.
• Always sequence this code after the primary code for rheumatoid arthritis (e.g., M05.xx or M06.xx) as Felty's syndrome is a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis.