2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code E03.9

Hypothyroidism, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Code:
E03.9
ICD-10 Code for:
Hypothyroidism, unspecified
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases
    (E00–E89)
    • Disorders of thyroid gland
      (E00-E07)
      • Other hypothyroidism
        (E03)

E03.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, unspecified. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like E03.9 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Acquired central hypothyroidism
  • Acquired hypothyroidism
  • Adult myxedema
  • Central hypothyroidism
  • Cerebral degeneration due to hypothyroidism
  • Chronic pericarditis
  • Dementia due to acquired hypothyroidism
  • Endocrine myopathy
  • Endogenous obesity
  • Enlargement of skeletal muscle
  • Finding of appearance of skeletal muscle
  • Finding of size of skeletal muscle
  • Hoffman syndrome
  • Hyperprolactinemia due to hypothyroidism
  • Hypertrichosis in hypothyroidism
  • Hypothyroid myopathy
  • Hypothyroid obesity
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Hypothyroidism due to infiltrative disease
  • Hypothyroidism due to sarcoidosis
  • Hypothyroidism due to thyroiditis
  • Hypothyroidism in childbirth
  • Hypothyroidism in pregnancy
  • Juvenile myxedema
  • Myasthenic syndrome due to another disorder
  • Myasthenic syndrome due to hypothyroidism
  • Myxedema
  • Myxedema cerebellar degeneration
  • Myxedema neuropathy
  • Obesity by contributing factors
  • Obesity of endocrine origin
  • Pericarditis secondary to myxedema
  • Premature puberty due to hypothyroidism
  • Primary hypothyroidism
  • Pseudohypertrophy of muscle
  • Secondary cerebellar degeneration
  • Severe hypothyroidism
  • Thyroid disease in pregnancy
  • Transient decreased production of T>4<

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Congenital Hypothyroidism

    a condition in infancy or early childhood due to an in-utero deficiency of thyroid hormones that can be caused by genetic or environmental factors, such as thyroid dysgenesis or hypothyroidism in infants of mothers treated with thiouracil during pregnancy. endemic cretinism is the result of iodine deficiency. clinical symptoms include severe mental retardation, impaired skeletal development, short stature, and myxedema.
  • Hypothyroidism

    a syndrome that results from abnormally low secretion of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland, leading to a decrease in basal metabolic rate. in its most severe form, there is accumulation of mucopolysaccharides in the skin and edema, known as myxedema. it may be primary or secondary due to other pituitary disease, or hypothalamic dysfunction.
  • Myxedema

    a condition characterized by a dry, waxy type of swelling (edema) with abnormal deposits of mucopolysaccharides in the skin and other tissues. it is caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormones. the skin becomes puffy around the eyes and on the cheeks. the face is dull and expressionless with thickened nose and lips.
  • Scleromyxedema

    a connective tissue disorder characterized by widespread thickening of skin with a cobblestone-like appearance. it is caused by proliferation of fibroblasts and deposition of mucin in the dermis in the absence of thyroid disease. most scleromyxedema cases are associated with a monoclonal gammopathy, immunoglobulin igg-lambda.
  • Acquired Hypothyroidism

    hypothyroidism, the cause of which is not present at birth.
  • Congenital Iodine Deficiency Syndrome, Myxedematous Type|Congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome, myxedematous type

    congenital iodine deficiency syndrome associated with milder mental retardation, short stature, goiter, and hypothyroidism. it results from iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism in the fetus during late pregnancy or in the neonatal period.
  • Myxedema

    a condition characterized by severe hypothyroidism that is caused by autoimmune thyroid gland disorders, surgical reduction of thyroid tissue, radiation exposure, and viral infections. signs and symptoms include generalized fatigue, lethargy, increased body weight, pale, edematous and thickened skin, low blood pressure, constipation and cold intolerance.
  • Myxedema Coma|Myxedema coma

    a life-threatening condition characterized by altered mental status and defective thermoregulation. it is seen in individuals with severe, decompensated hypothyroidism.
  • Scleromyxedema

    a rare chronic and progressive skin disorder characterized by mucin deposition in the skin, resulting in the thickening and hardening of the skin, predominantly in the face, fingers, and extremities.
  • Systemic Atrophy Primarily Affecting the Central Nervous System in Myxedema|Systemic atrophy primarily affecting the central nervous system in myxedema

    evidence of systemic atrophy primarily affecting the central nervous system in myxedema.
  • Iatrogenic Primary Hypothyroidism

    primary hypothyroidism due to medical or surgical treatment.
  • Primary Hypothyroidism

    abnormally low levels of thyroid hormones due to a disorder originating within the thyroid gland.
  • Transient Primary Hypothyroidism

    primary hypothyroidism that resolves spontaneously.
  • Acquired Central Hypothyroidism

    central hypothyroidism, the cause of which is not present at birth.

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
  • Myxedema NOS

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert E03.9 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 244.9 - Hypothyroidism NOS

Patient Education


Hypothyroidism

What is hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs.

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way the body uses energy. These hormones affect nearly every organ in your body and control many of your body's most important functions. For example, they affect your breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and moods. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body's functions slow down. But there are treatments that can help.

What causes hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism has several causes. They include:

  • Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks your thyroid. This is the most common cause.
  • Thyroiditis, inflammation of the thyroid
  • Congenital hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism that is present at birth
  • Surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid
  • Radiation treatment of the thyroid
  • Certain medicines
  • In rare cases, a pituitary disease or too much or too little iodine in your diet

Who is at risk for hypothyroidism?

You are at higher risk for hypothyroidism if you:

  • Are a woman
  • Are older than age 60
  • Have had a thyroid problem before, such as a goiter
  • Have had surgery to correct a thyroid problem
  • Have received radiation treatment to the thyroid, neck, or chest
  • Have a family history of thyroid disease
  • Were pregnant or had a baby in the past 6 months
  • Have Turner syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects females
  • Have pernicious anemia, in which the body cannot make enough healthy red blood cells because it does not have enough vitamin B12
  • Have Sjogren's syndrome, a disease that causes dry eyes and mouth
  • Have type 1 diabetes
  • Have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the joints
  • Have lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease

What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?

The symptoms of hypothyroidism can vary from person to person and may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Weight gain
  • A puffy face
  • Trouble tolerating cold
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Constipation
  • Dry skin
  • Dry, thinning hair
  • Decreased sweating
  • Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
  • Fertility problems in women
  • Depression
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Goiter, an enlarged thyroid that may cause your neck to look swollen. Sometimes it can cause trouble with breathing or swallowing.

Because hypothyroidism develops slowly, many people don't notice symptoms of the disease for months or even years.

What other problems can hypothyroidism cause?

Hypothyroidism can contribute to high cholesterol. In rare cases, untreated hypothyroidism can cause myxedema coma. This is a condition in which your body's functions slow down to the point that it becomes life-threatening.

During pregnancy, hypothyroidism can cause complications, such as premature birth, high blood pressure in pregnancy, and miscarriage. It can also slow the baby's growth and development.

How is hypothyroidism diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

  • A medical history, including asking about your symptoms
  • A physical exam
  • Thyroid tests, such as
    • TSH, T3, T4, and thyroid antibody blood tests
    • Imaging tests, such as a thyroid scan, ultrasound, or radioactive iodine uptake test. A radioactive iodine uptake test measures how much radioactive iodine your thyroid takes up from your blood after you swallow a small amount of it.

What are the treatments for hypothyroidism?

The treatment for hypothyroidism is medicine to replace the hormone that your own thyroid can no longer make. About 6 to 8 weeks after you start taking the medicine, you will get a blood test to check your thyroid hormone level. Your health care provider will adjust your dose if needed. Each time your dose is adjusted, you'll have another blood test. Once you find the right dose, you will probably get a blood test in 6 months. After that, you will need the test once a year.

If you take your medicine according to the instructions, you usually should be able to control the hypothyroidism. You should never stop taking your medicine without talking with your health care provider first.

If you have Hashimoto's disease or other types of autoimmune thyroid disorders, you may be sensitive to harmful side effects from iodine. Talk to your health care provider about which foods, supplements, and medicines you need to avoid.

Women need more iodine when they are pregnant because the baby gets iodine from the mother's diet. If you are pregnant, talk with your health care provider about how much iodine you need.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Congenital hypothyroidism

Congenital hypothyroidism is a partial or complete loss of function of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) that affects infants from birth (congenital). The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped tissue in the lower neck. It makes iodine-containing hormones that play an important role in regulating growth, brain development, and the rate of chemical reactions in the body (metabolism). People with congenital hypothyroidism have lower-than-normal levels of these important hormones.

Congenital hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to develop or function properly. In 80 to 85 percent of cases, the thyroid gland is absent, severely reduced in size (hypoplastic), or abnormally located. These cases are classified as thyroid dysgenesis. In the remainder of cases, a normal-sized or enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) is present, but production of thyroid hormones is decreased or absent. Most of these cases occur when one of several steps in the hormone synthesis process is impaired; these cases are classified as thyroid dyshormonogenesis. Less commonly, reduction or absence of thyroid hormone production is caused by impaired stimulation of the production process (which is normally done by a structure at the base of the brain called the pituitary gland), even though the process itself is unimpaired. These cases are classified as central (or pituitary) hypothyroidism.

Signs and symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism result from the shortage of thyroid hormones. Affected babies may show no features of the condition, although some babies with congenital hypothyroidism are less active and sleep more than normal. They may have difficulty feeding and experience constipation. If untreated, congenital hypothyroidism can lead to intellectual disability and slow growth. In the United States and many other countries, all hospitals test newborns for congenital hypothyroidism. If treatment begins in the first two weeks after birth, infants usually develop normally.

Congenital hypothyroidism can also occur as part of syndromes that affect other organs and tissues in the body. These forms of the condition are described as syndromic. Some common forms of syndromic hypothyroidism include Pendred syndrome, Bamforth-Lazarus syndrome, and brain-lung-thyroid syndrome.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)

Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland, can slow down nearly every organ. Learn about its causes, complications, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:

  • The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
  • The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.