2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H05.019Cellulitis of unspecified orbit

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H00-H05›H05

ICD-10-CM H05.019
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H05.019 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cellulitis of unspecified orbit. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 121 through 122. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 17 closely related codes. The code is flagged as an unspecified code, since codes identifying laterality exist in the same family. Coders also document this condition as abscess of orbit. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Oculofacial plastics and orbital conditions and Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H05.019
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Cellulitis of unspecified orbit
Short Description
Cellulitis of unspecified orbit
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H05.01
Cellulitis of orbit

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH00-H05Disorders of eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit
CategoryH05Disorders of orbit
This CodeH05.019Cellulitis of unspecified orbit

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for H05.019.

Unspecified codes
Unspecified codes exist in the ICD-10-CM classification for circumstances when documentation in the medical record does not provide the level of detail needed to support reporting a more specific code. However, in the inpatient setting, there should generally be very limited and rare circumstances for which the laterality (right, left, bilateral) of a condition is unable to be documented and reported. The following pages contain the list of unspecified ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for which there is a more specific code to identify laterality (right, left, bilateral) within that code family.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abscess of orbit
  • Abscess of periorbital region
  • Orbital cellulitis
  • Subperiosteal abscess of orbit

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H05.019: its own notes plus those printed at H05, block H00-H05, and Chapter 7. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From H05 Disorders of orbit applies to 102 codes
  • congenital malformation of orbit (Q10.7)

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

From Block H00-H05 Disorders of eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit applies to 574 codes
From Chapter 7 (H00-H59) Diseases of the eye and adnexa applies to 2,677 codes
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
  • diabetes mellitus related eye conditions (E09.3-, E10.3-, E11.3-, E13.3-)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • injury (trauma) of eye and orbit (S05.-)
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
  • syphilis related eye disorders (A50.01, A50.3-, A51.43, A52.71)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 7 (H00-H59) Diseases of the eye and adnexa applies to 2,677 codes
  • Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name H05.019, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes2 4

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming H05.019: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • L02.0 Cutaneous abscess, furuncle and carbuncle of face
    abscess of orbit (H05.0) names H05.0, which includes this code
  • L03.211 Cellulitis of face
    abscess of orbit (H05.01-) names H05.01-, which includes this code
  • L03.211 Cellulitis of face
    cellulitis of orbit (H05.01-) names H05.01-, which includes this code
  • M86 Osteomyelitis
    orbit (H05.0-) names H05.0-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EYE008
Oculofacial plastics and orbital conditions
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR SKN001
Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Patient EducationClinical

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and deep underlying tissues. Group A strep (streptococcal) bacteria are the most common cause. The bacteria enter your body when you get an injury such as a bruise, burn, surgical cut, or wound.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H05.019 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
376.01 Orbital cellulitis
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 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About H05.019Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for cellulitis of unspecified orbit?

The ICD-10-CM code for cellulitis of unspecified orbit is H05.019 (sometimes written as H05019). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H05.019 (Cellulitis of orbit) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report cellulitis of unspecified orbit on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does H05.019 group to?

When cellulitis of unspecified orbit is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 122, 121, with relative weights from 0.7403 to 1.2249 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is H05.019 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists H05.019 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 17 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

Can H05.019 be reported with Q10.7?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at H05, which applies to H05.019, lists "congenital malformation of orbit (Q10.7)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).