Syphilis of bone

This code signifies a diagnosis of syphilis affecting the skeletal system, specifically the bones. It encompasses various manifestations of syphilitic osteitis, periostitis, or gummatous lesions within bone tissue, resulting from either congenital or acquired syphilis.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states "syphilis of bone," "syphilitic osteitis," or "syphilitic periostitis." This diagnosis is typically supported by positive serological tests for syphilis (e.g., VDRL, RPR, FTA-ABS) in conjunction with imaging studies (X-rays, MRI) showing characteristic bone lesions.

• Always code the underlying syphilis (e.g., congenital, primary, secondary, tertiary) as the primary diagnosis, if known, with this code as a secondary diagnosis.
• Distinguish from non-syphilitic bone infections (e.g., bacterial osteomyelitis) which would be coded differently.
• Ensure the medical record clearly links the bone pathology to a confirmed syphilis infection.