AAPC CPC Exam - Topic 17 Question 54 Discussion

Actual exam question for AAPC's CPC exam

Question #: 54
Topic #: 17

[All CPC Questions]

A patient with three thyroid nodules is seen for an FNA biopsy. Using ultrasonic guidance, the provider inserts a 25-gauge needle into each nodule. Nodular tissue is aspirated and sent to pathology.

What CPT coding reported?

A10005, 10006 x 2, 76942

B10006 x 3

C10005, 10006 x 2

D10021, 10004 x 2, 76942

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: C

The CPT code 10005 is for fine needle aspiration biopsy, including ultrasound guidance, for the first lesion. CPT code 10006 is for each additional lesion with ultrasound guidance. Since the provider aspirated tissue from three nodules, the coding should be 10005 for the first nodule and 10006 x 2 for the additional two nodules. Reference: AMA's CPT Professional Edition (current year)

by Rosalind at Nov 02, 2025, 02:03 PM

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Lawanda

2 months ago

D seems off; it doesn’t match the procedure described.

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Denae

2 months ago

C makes sense, but I’m not sure about the 25-gauge needle part.

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Myra

2 months ago

I think it's A. Multiple nodules mean multiple codes.

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Christiane

2 months ago

Really? I thought it was more complicated than that!

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Nana

2 months ago

A is correct, but I can see why some might think B.

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Julian

2 months ago

Wait, why not just B) 10006 x 3?

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Maybelle

3 months ago

Haha, I bet the provider wishes they had a 26-gauge needle instead. Option A all the way!

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Temeka

3 months ago

D? Really? That's just overkill. Option C is the clear winner here.

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Vannessa

3 months ago

B is the way to go. Keep it simple, right?

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Adrianna

3 months ago

I believe the correct answer involves using 10006 for each nodule, but I can't remember if we should include the ultrasound code. It feels like it could be option B or C.

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Lyla

3 months ago

I practiced a similar question where we had to differentiate between the codes for aspiration and guidance. I feel like 10005 is for the first nodule, but I'm confused about the rest.

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Tamekia

3 months ago

I think we might need to use 10006 for each nodule, but I can't recall if we should count the ultrasound guidance separately or not.

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Olga

4 months ago

I'm going with C. Seems like the most comprehensive coding for the procedure.

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Lashaun

4 months ago

I think it's A) 10005, 10006 x 2, 76942.

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Cassie

4 months ago

Option A looks good to me. Gotta love those ultrasound-guided biopsies!

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Alfreda

4 months ago

I agree with A, seems right for three nodules.

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Fabiola

4 months ago

I feel like B is too simple for three nodules.

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Jettie

5 months ago

I remember that for fine needle aspirations, we usually report the number of nodules separately, but I'm not sure about the ultrasound guidance part.

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Wenona

5 months ago

I'm not entirely confident, but I'm leaning towards option A) 10005, 10006 x 2, 76942. The 10006 code is for a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid nodule using imaging guidance, and the 76942 code is for the ultrasonic guidance.

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Francoise

5 months ago

Based on the information provided, I think the correct answer is C) 10005, 10005 x 2. The 10005 code is for a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid nodule, and since there were three nodules, it would be reported 10005 and 10005 x 2.

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Kati

5 months ago

I'm a bit confused. The question mentions 25-gauge needles and aspirating nodular tissue, but I'm not sure how that translates to the CPT codes. I'll need to review the coding guidelines carefully.

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Alyce

5 months ago

Okay, let's see. We have a patient with three thyroid nodules who underwent an FNA biopsy with ultrasonic guidance. I'm not sure which CPT codes would apply here.

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