2025 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code C23

Malignant neoplasm of gallbladder

ICD-10-CM Code:
C23
ICD-10 Code for:
Malignant neoplasm of gallbladder
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Chronic
Code Navigator:

C23 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of gallbladder. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

The following anatomical sites found in the Table of Neoplasms reference this diagnosis code given the correct histological behavior: Neoplasm, neoplastic gallbladder .

Code Classification

  • Neoplasms
    (C00–D49)
    • Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs
      (C15-C26)
      • Malignant neoplasm of gallbladder
        (C23)

Approximate Synonyms

The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.

  • Carcinoma of gallbladder
  • Local recurrence of malignant tumor of gallbladder
  • Malignant mesenchymal neoplasm of gallbladder
  • Malignant tumor of gallbladder
  • Primary adenocarcinoma of gallbladder
  • Primary carcinoma liver and/or biliary system
  • Primary carcinoma of gallbladder
  • Primary malignant mesenchymal neoplasm of gallbladder
  • Primary malignant neoplasm of gallbladder
  • Primary malignant neoplasm of gallbladder
  • Primary squamous cell carcinoma of gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract

Clinical Classification

Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.

They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.

Gastrointestinal cancers - gallbladder

CCSR Code: NEO019

Inpatient Default: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Clinical Information

  • Acalculous Cholecystitis

    inflammation of the gallbladder wall in the absence of gallstones.
  • Biliary Dyskinesia

    a motility disorder characterized by biliary colic, absence of gallstones, and an abnormal gallbladder ejection fraction. it is caused by gallbladder dyskinesia and/or sphincter of oddi dysfunction.
  • Cholecystitis

    inflammation of the gallbladder; generally caused by impairment of bile flow, gallstones in the biliary tract, infections, or other diseases.
  • Gallbladder

    a storage reservoir for bile secretion. gallbladder allows the delivery of bile acids at a high concentration and in a controlled manner, via the cystic duct to the duodenum, for degradation of dietary lipid.
  • Gallbladder Diseases

    diseases of the gallbladder. they generally involve the impairment of bile flow, gallstones in the biliary tract, infections, neoplasms, or other diseases.
  • Gallbladder Emptying

    a process whereby bile is delivered from the gallbladder into the duodenum. the emptying is caused by both contraction of the gallbladder and relaxation of the sphincter mechanism at the choledochal terminus.
  • Gallbladder Neoplasms

    tumors or cancer of the gallbladder.

Convert C23 to ICD-9-CM

Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.

Malig neo gallbladder

ICD-9-CM: 156.0

This is a direct match with no additional mapping qualifiers. The absence of a flag generally means the mapping is considered exact or precise. In other words, the ICD-10 code maps cleanly to the ICD-9 code without qualification, approximation, or needing multiple codes.

Table of Neoplasms

This code is referenced in the table of neoplasms by anatomical site. For each site there are six possible code numbers according to whether the neoplasm in question is malignant, benign, in situ, of uncertain behavior, or of unspecified nature. The description of the neoplasm will often indicate which of the six columns is appropriate.

Where such descriptors are not present, the remainder of the Index should be consulted where guidance is given to the appropriate column for each morphological (histological) variety listed. However, the guidance in the Index can be overridden if one of the descriptors mentioned above is present.

Neoplasm, neoplastic Malignant
Primary
Malignant
Secondary
CaInSitu Benign Uncertain
Behavior
Unspecified
Behavior
»Neoplasm, neoplastic
  »gallbladder
C23C78.89D01.5D13.5D37.6D49.0

Patient Education


Gallbladder Cancer

Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made by your liver to digest fat. As your stomach and intestines digest food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The duct connects your gallbladder and liver to your small intestine.

Cancer of the gallbladder is rare. It is more common in women and Native Americans. Symptoms include

  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
  • Pain above the stomach
  • Fever
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Lumps in the abdomen

It is hard to diagnose gallbladder cancer in its early stages. Sometimes doctors find it when they remove the gallbladder for another reason. But people with gallstones rarely have gallbladder cancer. Because it is often found late, it can be hard to treat gallbladder cancer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination.

NIH: National Cancer Institute


[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.