2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H16.319Corneal abscess, unspecified eye

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H15-H22›H16

ICD-10-CM H16.319
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H16.319 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for corneal abscess, unspecified eye. 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. Coders also document this condition as corneal abscess. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Cornea and external disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H16.319
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Corneal abscess, unspecified eye
Short Description
Corneal abscess, unspecified eye
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H16.31
Corneal abscess

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH15-H22Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body
CategoryH16Keratitis
This CodeH16.319Corneal abscess, unspecified eye

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Corneal abscess
  • Corneal stromal abscess
  • Stitch abscess
  • Stitch abscess of cornea

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H16.319: its own notes plus those printed at Chapter 7. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

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.

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

  • Corneal Abscess

    an abscess of the cornea.

  • Keratitis

    inflammation of the cornea.

Patient EducationClinical

Abscess

An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H16.319 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
370.55 Corneal abscess
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 H16.319Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for corneal abscess, unspecified eye?

The ICD-10-CM code for corneal abscess, unspecified eye is H16.319 (sometimes written as H16319). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H16.319 (Corneal abscess) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does H16.319 group to?

When corneal abscess, unspecified eye 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.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H16.319?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, corneal abscess, unspecified eye converts to ICD-9-CM 370.55 (corneal abscess). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.