rhinorrhea

DEFINITION of rhinorrhea

Rhinorrhea is the free discharge of thin nasal mucus through the nostrils. It is a common symptom associated with various conditions including allergic rhinitis, viral upper respiratory infections, sinusitis, and cerebrospinal fluid leaks. The discharge can be clear, watery, or mucoid depending on the underlying cause. When the discharge is cerebrospinal fluid rather than mucus, it may indicate a serious condition such as a skull base fracture or spontaneous CSF leak.

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ETYMOLOGY of rhinorrhea

greek From Greek rhino- meaning “nose” + -rrhea meaning “flow” or “discharge” (from rhein, to flow).

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Related Terms

• Rhinitis (inflammation of the nose)

• Epistaxis (nosebleed)

• Sinusitis

• Allergic rhinitis

• Nasal congestion (R09.81)

• Cerebrospinal fluid leak (G96.01)

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Coding and Coding Nuances

ICD-10 Codes

• R09.82 (Postnasal drip/rhinorrhea) — Primary code for symptomatic rhinorrhea

• G96.01 (Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous) — For CSF rhinorrhea

• J00.0 (Acute nasopharyngitis) — When due to common cold

• J30.9 (Allergic rhinitis, unspecified) — When allergy-related

• J34.89 (Other specified disorders of nose and nasal sinuses) — _For other nasal conditions

CPT Codes

• N/A (Rhinorrhea is a symptom/diagnosis, not a procedure)

• 62100 (Craniotomy for repair of dural/cerebrospinal fluid leak, including surgery for rhinorrhea/otorrhea) — Specific to CSF leak repair

• 31231 (Nasal endoscopy, diagnostic) — Common procedure to evaluate cause of rhinorrhea

• 31233 (Nasal endoscopy with biopsy) — If tissue sample is taken

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DERIVATIONS of rhinorrhea

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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