2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code B37.81Candidal esophagitis

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›B35-B49›B37

ICD-10-CM B37.81
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

B37.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for candidal esophagitis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 368 through 370, 974 through 976. Coders also document this condition as candidiasis of esophagus. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Esophageal disorders and Fungal infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
B37.81
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Candidal esophagitis
Short Description
Candidal esophagitis
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
B37.8
Candidiasis of other sites

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionB35-B49Mycoses
CategoryB37Candidiasis
This CodeB37.81Candidal esophagitis

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Candidiasis of esophagus
  • Candidiasis of esophagus co-occurrent with human immunodeficiency virus infection
  • Candidiasis of mouth and esophagus
  • Disorder of gastrointestinal tract co-occurrent with human immunodeficiency virus infection
  • Gastrointestinal candidiasis

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.

    • Candidiasis, candidal
      • esophagitis
    • Esophagitis(acute) (alkaline) (chemical) (chronic) (infectional) (necrotic) (peptic) (postoperative) (without bleeding)
      • candidal

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR DIG004
Esophageal disorders
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR INF004
Fungal infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Patient EducationClinical

Esophagus Disorders

The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and liquids from your mouth to the stomach. You may not be aware of your esophagus until you swallow something too large, too hot, or too cold. You may also notice it when something is wrong. You may feel pain or have trouble swallowing.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert B37.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
112.84 Candidal esophagitis
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

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 B37.81Overview

Is B37.81 (Candidiasis of other sites) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does B37.81 group to?

When candidal esophagitis is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 368, 369, 370, 974, 975, 976, with relative weights from 0.7008 to 2.8860 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of B37.81?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, candidal esophagitis converts to ICD-9-CM 112.84 (candidal esophagitis). The mapping is a direct match.

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.