2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H16.263Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H15-H22›H16

ICD-10-CM H16.263
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H16.263 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 124 through 125. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Cornea and external disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H16.263
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral
Short Description
Vernal keratoconjunct, w limbar and corneal involv, bi
Parent Code
H16.26
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH15-H22Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body
CategoryH16Keratitis
This CodeH16.263Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H16.263: its own notes plus those printed at H16.26 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 H16.26 Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement applies to 4 codes
  • vernal conjunctivitis without limbar and corneal involvement (H10.44)

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 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 H16.263, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 3

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming H16.263: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • H10 Conjunctivitis
    keratoconjunctivitis (H16.2-) names H16.2-, which includes this code
  • H10.44 Vernal conjunctivitis
    vernal keratoconjunctivitis with limbar and corneal involvement (H16.26-) names H16.26-, which includes this code
  • H11 Other disorders of conjunctiva
    keratoconjunctivitis (H16.2-) names H16.2-, which includes this code

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming H16.263: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • H44.1 Other endophthalmitis
    ophthalmia nodosa (H16.2-) names H16.2-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EYE001
Cornea and external disease
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Keratoconjunctivitis

    simultaneous inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva.

Patient EducationClinical

Corneal Disorders

Your cornea is the outermost layer of your eye. It is clear and shaped like a dome. The cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. It also helps your eye to focus. If you wear contact lenses, they float on top of your corneas.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H16.263 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
370.32 Limbar keratoconjunctiv
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.
ICD-9-CM
372.13 Vernal conjunctivitis
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.

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 H16.263Overview

Is H16.263 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does H16.263 group to?

When vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 125, 124, with relative weights from 0.7699 to 1.2470 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can H16.263 be reported with H10.44?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at H16.26, which applies to H16.263, lists "vernal conjunctivitis without limbar and corneal involvement (H10.44)". 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).

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H16.263?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral converts to ICD-9-CM 370.32 (limbar keratoconjunctiv) and 372.13 (vernal conjunctivitis). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.