2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J94.0Chylous effusion

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J90-J94›J94

ICD-10-CM J94.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

J94.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for chylous effusion. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 186 through 188, 791, 793. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 29 closely related codes. Coders also document this condition as acquired chylothorax. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Pleurisy, pleural effusion and pulmonary collapse.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J94.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Chylous effusion
Short Description
Chylous effusion
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J94
Other pleural conditions

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ90-J94Other diseases of the pleura
CategoryJ94Other pleural conditions
This CodeJ94.0Chylous effusion

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acquired chylothorax
  • Chylothorax
  • Malignant chylothorax
  • Pleural effusion caused by bacteria
  • Pleural effusion due to another disorder
  • Pleural effusion due to malignant neoplastic disease
  • Pleural effusion due to neoplastic disease
  • Traumatic chylothorax
  • Tuberculous chylothorax
  • Tuberculous pleural effusion

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to J94.0: its own notes plus those printed at J94 and Chapter 10. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Applicable To

Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.

  • Chyliform effusion

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From J94 Other pleural conditions applies to 5 codes
  • pleurisy NOS (R09.1)
  • traumatic hemopneumothorax (S27.2)
  • traumatic hemothorax (S27.1)
  • tuberculous pleural conditions (current disease) (A15.-)

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 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 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)
  • smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 codes
  • code, where applicable, to identify:
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
  • exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 codes
  • When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name J94.0, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming J94.0: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • J90 Pleural effusion, not elsewhere classified
    chylous (pleural) effusion (J94.0)

Code Also 1

These codes say J94.0 may also be needed to fully describe the condition. The note gives no sequencing direction.

  • I27.841 Fontan-associated lymphatic dysfunction
    chylothorax (J94.0)

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP011
Pleurisy, pleural effusion and pulmonary collapse
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Chylothorax

    the presence of chyle in the thoracic cavity. (dorland, 27th ed)

Patient EducationClinical

Pleural Disorders

Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J94.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
511.89 Effusion NEC exc tb
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 J94.0Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for chylous effusion?

The ICD-10-CM code for chylous effusion is J94.0 (sometimes written as J940). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is J94.0 (Other pleural conditions) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does J94.0 group to?

When chylous effusion is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 186, 187, 188, with relative weights from 0.6651 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is J94.0 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists J94.0 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 29 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

Can J94.0 be reported with R09.1?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at J94, which applies to J94.0, lists "pleurisy NOS (R09.1)". 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).