2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code E50.5Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness

ICD-10-CM Codes›E00–E89›E50-E64›E50

ICD-10-CM E50.5
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

E50.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for vitamin A deficiency with night blindness. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 124 through 125. Coders also document this condition as acquired night blindness. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Nutritional deficiencies.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
E50.5
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness
Short Description
Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
E50
Vitamin A deficiency

Code Classification

ChapterE00–E89Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases
SectionE50-E64Other nutritional deficiencies
CategoryE50Vitamin A deficiency
This CodeE50.5Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acquired night blindness
  • Night blindness
  • Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness

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.

    • Amblyopia(congenital) (ex anopsia) (partial) (suppression)
      • nocturnal
        • vitamin A deficiency
    • Blindness(acquired) (congenital) (both eyes)
      • night
        • vitamin A deficiency
    • Deficiency, deficient
      • vitamin (multiple) NOS
        • A
          • with
            • night blindness
    • Hemeralopia(day blindness)
      • vitamin A deficiency

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR END007
Nutritional deficiencies
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Night Blindness

    failure or imperfection of vision at night or in dim light, with good vision only on bright days. (dorland, 27th ed)

Patient EducationClinical

Malnutrition

Malnutrition means that your body isn't getting enough calories or the right balance of nutrients to stay healthy. This can happen if you don't get enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats, eat too much unhealthy food, or don't get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

The full article covers:

  • What is malnutrition?
  • What are the types of malnutrition?
  • What causes malnutrition?
  • Who is at risk for developing malnutrition?
  • What are the symptoms of malnutrition?
  • How is malnutrition diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for malnutrition?
  • Can malnutrition be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert E50.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
264.5 Vit A night blindness
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 E50.5Overview

Is E50.5 (Vitamin A deficiency) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report vitamin A deficiency with night blindness on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does E50.5 group to?

When vitamin A deficiency with night blindness is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 124, 125, with relative weights from 0.7678 to 1.3231 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of E50.5?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, vitamin A deficiency with night blindness converts to ICD-9-CM 264.5 (vit A night blindness). The mapping is a direct match.

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.