Rheumatoid vasculitis w rheumatoid arthritis of right hand

This diagnosis code signifies inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) occurring in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, specifically affecting the right hand. It indicates a severe extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid disease.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states rheumatoid vasculitis impacting the right hand in a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Look for physician notes detailing symptoms like digital infarcts, skin ulcers, or neuropathy localized to the right hand, attributed to vasculitis in the context of RA.

• Ensure documentation specifies "rheumatoid vasculitis" and not just general vasculitis.
• Verify the laterality (right hand) is explicitly stated.
• Always sequence the underlying rheumatoid arthritis code (e.g., M05.xx) before this code if not already inherent in the M05.2x category.