A52.78Syphilis of other musculoskeletal tissue

A52.78 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for syphilis of other musculoskeletal tissue. It belongs to category A52 (late syphilis), block A50-A64 (infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission) and chapter 1 (certain infectious and parasitic diseases). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within A52.7, choose A52.78 (Syphilis of other musculoskeletal tissue) only when documentation doesn't support a more specific option: late syphilitic oculopathy (A52.71), syphilis of lung and bronchus (A52.72), symptomatic late syphilis of other respiratory organs (A52.73), syphilis of liver and other viscera (A52.74), syphilis of kidney and ureter (A52.75), other genitourinary symptomatic late syphilis (A52.76), syphilis of bone and joint (A52.77) and other symptomatic late syphilis (A52.79).

As a secondary diagnosis it is a CC (complication or comorbidity), which can move an inpatient stay into the "with CC" MS-DRG of its family, unless the principal diagnosis excludes it.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 557 (Tendonitis, Myositis and Bursitis with MCC, relative weight 1.489) and DRG 558 (Tendonitis, Myositis and Bursitis without MCC, relative weight 0.8875), in MDC 08 (Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 095.6 (syphilis of muscle) and 095.7 (syphilis of synovium, tendon, and bursa).