dysplasia

DEFINITION of dysplasia

The term dysplasia refers broadly to the abnormal growth, development, or maturation of cells, tissues, or organs. In cellular pathology, it describes the presence of abnormal cells within a tissue, which often signifies a precancerous condition (e.g., cervical dysplasia or gastric dysplasia). The cells show altered size, shape, and organization but have not yet invaded surrounding tissue. In a macroscopic or developmental context, dysplasia refers to abnormal tissue or anatomical development, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), where the hip joint fails to form correctly, or fibromuscular dysplasia, which affects blood vessel walls.

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ETYMOLOGY of dysplasia

greek

Component	Origin	Meaning
dys-	Greek dys- (δυσ-)	“Bad”, “difficult”, or “abnormal”
-plasia	Greek -plasia (-πλασία), from plassein	”Formation”, “growth”, or “molding”

The roots combine to literally mean “abnormal formation” or “bad growth.” It was introduced into medical terminology in the late 19th/early 20th century to describe irregular cellular/tissue changes.

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🔀 ALIASES / ALTERNATE TERMS

• Atypical cell growth
• Precancerous changes
• Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) (specific to cervical dysplasia)
• Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) (macroscopic tissue level)
• Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

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🔗 RELATED TERMS

• Neoplasia — new, uncontrolled growth of cells (can be benign or malignant); dysplasia often precedes this.
• hyperplasia — an increase in the number of normal cells in a tissue or organ.
• Metaplasia — the reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another mature cell type.
• Carcinoma in situ (CIS) — severe dysplasia where abnormal cells involve the full thickness of the epithelium but haven’t broken through the basement membrane.
• Colposcopy — a procedure closely examining the cervix, vagina, and vulva for signs of dysplasia.
• Osteotomy — a surgical cutting of a bone, often performed to correct macroscopic skeletal dysplasias (like hip dysplasia).

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CODING CORNER

🏥 ICD-10-CM CODES

Cervical / Vulvovaginal Dysplasia

Code	Description
N87.0	Mild cervical dysplasia (CIN I)
N87.1	Moderate cervical dysplasia (CIN II)
N87.9	Dysplasia of cervix uteri, unspecified
D06.9	Carcinoma in situ of cervix, unspecified (Used for Severe Dysplasia / CIN III)
N89.3	Dysplasia of vagina, unspecified

Gastrointestinal / Other Cellular Dysplasia

Code	Description
K31.A21	Gastric dysplasia, low grade
K31.A22	Gastric dysplasia, high grade
D46.9	Myelodysplastic syndrome, unspecified

Macroscopic / Developmental Dysplasia

Code	Description
Q65.89	Other specified congenital deformities of hip (often used for congenital hip dysplasia)
M24.851	Other specific joint derangements of right hip, not elsewhere classified (acquired)
M24.852	Other specific joint derangements of left hip, not elsewhere classified (acquired)
I77.3	Arterial fibromuscular dysplasia

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🔧 COMMON CPT CODES (Dysplasia-Related Procedures)

CPT Code	Description
88142	Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision
57455	Colposcopy of the cervix including upper/adjacent vagina; with biopsy(s) of the cervix
57460	Colposcopy of the cervix including upper/adjacent vagina; with loop electrode biopsy(s) of the cervix (LEEP)
57522	Conization of cervix, with or without fulguration, with or without dilation and curettage, with or without repair; loop electrode excision
43239	Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, flexible, transoral; with biopsy, single or multiple (commonly used to diagnose gastric dysplasia)
27146	Osteotomy, iliac, acetabular or innominate bone (used in correcting hip dysplasia)
88305	Level IV - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination (standard for evaluating dysplasia biopsies)

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⚠️ Coding Note: Context is critical when coding “dysplasia.” Medical coders must determine if the provider is describing a cellular precancerous change (e.g., cervical or gastric dysplasia) or an anatomical/developmental anomaly (e.g., hip or fibromuscular dysplasia). For cervical dysplasia, severity grades (CIN I, II, or III) guide the ICD-10-CM selection. Note that CIN III (severe dysplasia) crosses over into the neoplasm chapter as Carcinoma In Situ (D06.-).

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DERIVATIONS of dysplasia

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Query functionality

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Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms