2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H71.03Cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H65-H75›H71

ICD-10-CM H71.03
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H71.03 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral. 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 cholesteatoma of attic. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Diseases of middle ear and mastoid (except otitis media).

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H71.03
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral
Short Description
Cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H71.0
Cholesteatoma of attic

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH65-H75Diseases of middle ear and mastoid
CategoryH71Cholesteatoma of middle ear
This CodeH71.03Cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Cholesteatoma of attic
  • Cholesteatoma of bilateral middle ears
  • Cholesteatoma of left middle ear
  • Cholesteatoma of recessus epitympanicus of bilateral middle ears
  • Cholesteatoma of recessus epitympanicus of left middle ear
  • Cholesteatoma of recessus epitympanicus of right middle ear
  • Cholesteatoma of right middle ear

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H71.03: its own notes plus those printed at H71 and 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 H71 Cholesteatoma of middle ear applies to 20 codes
  • cholesteatoma of external ear (H60.4-)
  • recurrent cholesteatoma of postmastoidectomy cavity (H95.0-)
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.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name H71.03, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming H71.03: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • H60.4 Cholesteatoma of external ear
    cholesteatoma of middle ear (H71.-) names H71.-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EAR002
Diseases of middle ear and mastoid (except otitis media)
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Middle Ear Cholesteatoma

    a non-neoplastic lesion characterized by the proliferation of keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear that results in the accumulation of keratin and cells. it is usually caused by repeated infections. if left untreated, it may increase in size and destroy the adjacent delicate bones of the middle ear.

Patient EducationClinical

Ear Infections

Ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their child to a doctor. Three out of four children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. Adults can also get ear infections, but they are less common.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H71.03 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
385.31 Cholesteatoma of attic
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 H71.03Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral?

The ICD-10-CM code for cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral is H71.03 (sometimes written as H7103). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H71.03 (Cholesteatoma of attic) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does H71.03 group to?

When cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral 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.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H71.03?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, cholesteatoma of attic, bilateral converts to ICD-9-CM 385.31 (cholesteatoma of attic). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.