Version 2024

2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H10.51

Ligneous conjunctivitis

ICD-10-CM Code:
H10.51
ICD-10 Code for:
Ligneous conjunctivitis
Is Billable?
Not Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the eye and adnexa
    (H00–H59)
    • Disorders of conjunctiva
      (H10-H11)
      • Conjunctivitis
        (H10)

H10.51 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of ligneous conjunctivitis. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2024 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Specific Coding Applicable to Ligneous conjunctivitis

Non-specific codes like H10.51 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10-CM codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for ligneous conjunctivitis:

  • Use H10.511 for Ligneous conjunctivitis, right eye - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H10.512 for Ligneous conjunctivitis, left eye - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H10.513 for Ligneous conjunctivitis, bilateral - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H10.519 for Ligneous conjunctivitis, unspecified eye - BILLABLE CODE

Clinical Information

  • Blepharoconjunctivitis

    inflammation of both the eyelids and the conjunctiva.

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Code Also

Code Also
A "code also" note instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe a condition, but this note does not provide sequencing direction.
  • underlying condition if known, such as:
  • plasminogen deficiency E88.02

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Patient Education


Pink Eye

Conjunctivitis is the medical name for pink eye. It involves inflammation of the outer layer of the eye and inside of the eyelid. It can cause swelling, itching, burning, discharge, and redness. Causes include:

  • Bacterial or viral infection
  • Allergies
  • Substances that cause irritation
  • Contact lens products, eye drops, or eye ointments

Pink eye usually does not affect vision. Infectious pink eye can easily spread from one person to another. The infection will clear in most cases without medical care, but bacterial pink eye needs treatment with antibiotic eye drops or ointment.

NIH: National Eye Institute


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Congenital plasminogen deficiency

Congenital plasminogen deficiency is a disorder that results in inflamed growths on the mucous membranes, which are the moist tissues that line body openings such as the eyelids and the inside of the mouth. Development of the growths are usually triggered by infections or injury, but they may also occur spontaneously in the absence of known triggers. The growths may recur after being removed.

Congenital plasminogen deficiency most often affects the conjunctiva, which are the mucous membranes that protect the white part of the eye (the sclera) and line the eyelids. A characteristic feature of this disorder is ligneous conjunctivitis, in which a buildup of a protein called fibrin causes inflammation of the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis) and leads to thick, woody (ligneous), inflamed growths that are yellow, white, or red. Ligneous conjunctivitis most often occurs on the inside of the eyelids. However, in about one-third of cases, ligneous conjunctivitis over the sclera grows onto the cornea, which is the clear covering that protects the colored part of the eye (the iris) and pupil. Such growths can tear the cornea or cause scarring. These corneal problems as well as obstruction by growths inside the eyelid can lead to vision loss.

People with congenital plasminogen deficiency may also develop ligneous growths on other mucous membranes, including the inside of the mouth and the gums; the lining of the nasal cavity; and in females, the vagina. Growths on the mucous membranes that line the gastrointestinal tract may result in ulcers. The growths may also develop in the windpipe, which can cause life-threatening airway obstruction, especially in children. In a small number of cases, affected individuals are born with impaired drainage of the fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord (the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF), resulting in a buildup of this fluid in the skull (occlusive hydrocephalus). It is unclear how this feature is related to the other signs and symptoms of congenital plasminogen deficiency.


[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.