2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H61.321Acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H60-H62›H61

ICD-10-CM H61.321
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H61.321 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 154 through 156. Coders also document this condition as chronic otitis externa of right external auditory canal. 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
H61.321
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection
Short Description
Acquired stenosis of r ext ear canal sec to inflam and infct
Parent Code
H61.32
Acquired stenosis of external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH60-H62Diseases of external ear
CategoryH61Other disorders of external ear
This CodeH61.321Acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Chronic otitis externa of right external auditory canal
  • Stenosis of right external ear canal due to and following infection
  • Stenosis of right external ear canal due to and following inflammation

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H61.321: its own notes plus those printed at H61.3 and Chapter 8. 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 H61.3 Acquired stenosis of external ear canal applies to 16 codes
  • postprocedural stenosis of external ear canal (H95.81-)

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 H61.321 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
380.53 Stenosis ear d/t inflam
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 H61.321Overview

Is H61.321 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does H61.321 group to?

When acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 156, 155, 154, with relative weights from 0.6656 to 1.5916 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can H61.321 be reported with a code from H95.81?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at H61.3, which applies to H61.321, lists "postprocedural stenosis of external ear canal (H95.81-)". 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 H61.321?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, acquired stenosis of right external ear canal secondary to inflammation and infection converts to ICD-9-CM 380.53 (stenosis ear d/t inflam). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.