2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H61.023Chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H60-H62›H61

ICD-10-CM H61.023
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H61.023 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 564 through 566. Coders also document this condition as bilateral chronic perichondritis of external ears. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified disorders of the ear.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H61.023
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral
Short Description
Chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H61.02
Chronic perichondritis of external ear

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH60-H62Diseases of external ear
CategoryH61Other disorders of external ear
This CodeH61.023Chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bilateral chronic perichondritis of external ears
  • Bilateral external ears chondritis
  • Bilateral perichondritis of external ears
  • Chondritis of left external ear
  • Chondritis of right external ear
  • Chronic perichondritis of left external ear
  • Chronic perichondritis of pinna
  • Chronic perichondritis of right external ear
  • Perichondritis of left external ear
  • Perichondritis of right external ear

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H61.023: its own notes plus those printed at Chapter 8. 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 8 (H60-H95) Diseases of the ear and mastoid process applies to 653 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)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • 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)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 8 (H60-H95) Diseases of the ear and mastoid process applies to 653 codes
  • Use an external cause code following the code for the ear condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the ear 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 EAR006
Other specified and unspecified disorders of the ear
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Ear Disorders

An ear disorder is any condition that changes or harms the shape or structure of your ear. This can include abnormal ear shapes you're born with, injuries that change your ear's shape, and a growth on or in the ear.

The full article covers:

  • What is an ear disorder?
  • What causes ear disorders?
  • What are the symptoms of ear disorders?
  • How are ear disorders diagnosed?
  • How are ear disorders treated?
  • Can ear disorders be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H61.023 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
380.02 Chr perichondritis pinna
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 H61.023Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral?

The ICD-10-CM code for chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral is H61.023 (sometimes written as H61023). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H61.023 (Chronic perichondritis of external ear) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does H61.023 group to?

When chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 564, 566, 565, with relative weights from 0.7374 to 1.4909 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H61.023?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, chronic perichondritis of external ear, bilateral converts to ICD-9-CM 380.02 (chr perichondritis pinna). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.