2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A15.6Tuberculous pleurisy

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A15-A19›A15

ICD-10-CM A15.6
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A15.6 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for tuberculous pleurisy. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 177 through 179, 974 through 976. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Pleurisy, pleural effusion and pulmonary collapse; and Tuberculosis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A15.6
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Tuberculous pleurisy
Short Description
Tuberculous pleurisy
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A15
Respiratory tuberculosis

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA15-A19Tuberculosis
CategoryA15Respiratory tuberculosis
This CodeA15.6Tuberculous pleurisy

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bacterial pleurisy
  • Chylothorax
  • Hydrothorax
  • Pleural effusion caused by bacteria
  • Tuberculosis of pleura
  • Tuberculous chylothorax
  • Tuberculous empyema
  • Tuberculous hydrothorax
  • Tuberculous pleural effusion
  • Tuberculous pleurisy, confirmed bacteriologically and histologically

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Tuberculosis of pleura Tuberculous empyema

Type 1 Excludes

  • primary respiratory tuberculosis A15.7

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Adhesions, adhesive(postinfective)
      • pleura, pleuritic
        • tuberculous NEC
    • Effusion
      • pleura, pleurisy, pleuritic, pleuropericardial
        • tuberculous NEC
    • Empyema(acute) (chest) (double) (pleura) (supradiaphragmatic) (thorax)
      • tuberculous
    • Fistula(cutaneous)
      • pleura, pleural, pleurocutaneous, pleuroperitoneal
        • tuberculous NEC
    • Hemothorax(bacterial) (nontuberculous)
      • tuberculous NEC
    • Hydropneumothorax
      • tuberculous NEC
    • Hydrothorax(double) (pleura)
      • tuberculous NEC (non primary)
    • Pleurisy(acute) (adhesive) (chronic) (costal) (diaphragmatic) (double) (dry) (fibrinous) (fibrous) (interlobar) (latent) (plastic) (primary) (residual) (sicca) (sterile) (subacute) (unresolved)
      • with
        • effusion
          • tuberculous (non primary)
    • Pleurisy(acute) (adhesive) (chronic) (costal) (diaphragmatic) (double) (dry) (fibrinous) (fibrous) (interlobar) (latent) (plastic) (primary) (residual) (sicca) (sterile) (subacute) (unresolved)
      • tuberculous (with effusion) (non primary)
    • Pyopneumothorax(infective)
      • tuberculous NEC
    • Pyothorax
      • tuberculous NEC
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • bronchopleural
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • empyema
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • hemothorax
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • hydropneumothorax
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • hydrothorax
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • pleura, pleural, pleurisy, pleuritis (fibrinous) (obliterative) (purulent) (simple plastic) (with effusion)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • pyopneumothorax
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • pyothorax

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR RSP011
Pleurisy, pleural effusion and pulmonary collapse
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR INF001
Tuberculosis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Hydrothorax

    a collection of watery fluid in the pleural cavity. (dorland, 27th ed)

  • Chylothorax

    the presence of chyle in the thoracic cavity. (dorland, 27th ed)

  • Tuberculous Empyema

    an empyema resulting from infection by mycobacterium tuberculosis.

  • Hydrothorax

    the accumulation of serous fluid within the pleural cavity.

  • Acquired Chylothorax

    chylothorax that results from malignancies (usually lymphoma), trauma to the thoracic duct, tuberculosis, or sarcoidosis.

  • Chylothorax

    an accumulation of chyle in the pleural cavity.

  • Chylothorax, CTCAE|Chylothorax|Chylothorax|Chylothorax

    a disorder characterized by milky pleural effusion (abnormal collection of fluid) resulting from accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity.

  • Chylothorax|Chylous Pleural Effusion

    a milky pleural effusion resulting from accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity. causes include malignancies (usually lymphoma), trauma to the thoracic duct, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, and congenital causes.

  • Congenital Chylothorax

    chylothorax that is present at birth.

  • Grade 1 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 1 Chylothorax|Grade 1 Chylothorax

    asymptomatic; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicated

  • Grade 2 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 2 Chylothorax|Grade 2 Chylothorax

    symptomatic; medical intervention indicated (e.g., fat-restricted diet); thoracentesis or tube drainage indicated

  • Grade 3 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 3 Chylothorax|Grade 3 Chylothorax

    severe symptoms; elective operative intervention indicated

  • Grade 4 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 4 Chylothorax|Grade 4 Chylothorax

    life-threatening respiratory or hemodynamic compromise; intubation or urgent intervention indicated

  • Grade 5 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 5 Chylothorax|Grade 5 Chylothorax

    death

  • Traumatic Chylothorax

    accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity as a result of thoracic trauma.

Patient EducationClinical

Pleural Disorders

Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert A15.6 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
012.00 TB pleurisy-unspec
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About A15.6Overview

Is A15.6 (Respiratory tuberculosis) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report tuberculous pleurisy on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A15.6 group to?

When tuberculous pleurisy is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 177, 178, 179, 974, 975, 976, with relative weights from 0.7550 to 2.8860 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A15.6?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, tuberculous pleurisy converts to ICD-9-CM 012.00 (TB pleurisy-unspec). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.