Injury to cervical sympathetic nerve, excluding shoulder and pelvic girdles

This code signifies a traumatic injury affecting the sympathetic nerve fibers located in the neck region. It specifically excludes injuries to sympathetic nerves associated with the shoulder or pelvic girdles. Such injuries can lead to conditions like Horner's syndrome, characterized by miosis, ptosis, and anhidrosis on the affected side of the face.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a direct injury to the cervical sympathetic chain, often due to trauma such as penetrating neck wounds, blunt force trauma, or iatrogenic injury during surgery. Supporting documentation should specify the mechanism of injury and the resulting neurological deficits consistent with sympathetic nerve damage in the neck.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "cervical sympathetic nerve" and not a general nerve injury in the neck.
• Verify that the injury is not related to the shoulder or pelvic girdle, as those have separate coding classifications.
• Consider sequencing this code after the primary injury code (e.g., open wound of neck) if applicable.