2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L20.83

Infantile (acute) (chronic) eczema

ICD-10-CM Code:
L20.83
ICD-10 Code for:
Infantile (acute) (chronic) eczema
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
    (L00–L99)
    • Dermatitis and eczema
      (L20-L30)
      • Atopic dermatitis
        (L20)

L20.83 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of infantile (acute) (chronic) eczema. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

The code L20.83 is applicable for patients aged 0 through 17 years inclusive. It is clinically and virtually impossible to use this code on a patient outside the stated age range.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Acute eczema
  • Acute hand eczema
  • Acute infantile eczema
  • Chronic eczema of foot
  • Chronic hand eczema
  • Chronic infantile eczema
  • Dermatitis of anogenital region
  • Eczema
  • Eczema of finger
  • Eczema of lower leg
  • Eczema of lower limb
  • Eczema of male genitalia
  • Eczema of scalp
  • Eczema of wrist
  • Exacerbation of eczema
  • Facial eczema
  • Fingertip eczema
  • Firm nonpitting edema
  • Foot eczema
  • Generalized eczema
  • Hand eczema
  • Infantile atopic dermatitis
  • Infantile eczema
  • Nonallergic eczema
  • Non-pitting edema

Clinical Classification

Clinical CategoryCCSR Category CodeInpatient Default CCSROutpatient Default CCSR
Allergic reactionsINJ031N - Not default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.N - Not default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Other specified inflammatory condition of skinSKN002Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Clinical Information

  • Dermatitis, Allergic Contact

    a contact dermatitis due to allergic sensitization to various substances. these substances subsequently produce inflammatory reactions in the skin of those who have acquired hypersensitivity to them as a result of prior exposure.
  • Dermatitis, Atopic

    a chronic inflammatory genetically determined disease of the skin marked by increased ability to form reagin (ige), with increased susceptibility to allergic rhinitis and asthma, and hereditary disposition to a lowered threshold for pruritus. it is manifested by lichenification, excoriation, and crusting, mainly on the flexural surfaces of the elbow and knee. in infants it is known as infantile eczema.
  • Dermatitis, Contact

    a type of acute or chronic skin reaction in which sensitivity is manifested by reactivity to materials or substances coming in contact with the skin. it may involve allergic or non-allergic mechanisms.
  • Eczema

    a pruritic papulovesicular dermatitis occurring as a reaction to many endogenous and exogenous agents (dorland, 27th ed).
  • Eczema, Dyshidrotic

    a recurrent eczematous reaction characterized by the development of vesicular eruptions on the palms and soles, particularly along the sides and between the digits. it is accompanied by pruritus, a burning sensation, and hyperhidrosis. the disease is self-limiting, lasting only a few weeks. (dorland, 27th ed)
  • Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption

    a disseminated vesicular-pustular eruption caused by the herpes simplex virus (herpesvirus hominis), the vaccinia virus, or varicella zoster (herpesvirus 3, human). it is usually superimposed on a preexisting, inactive or active, atopic dermatitis (dermatitis, atopic).
  • Skin Diseases, Eczematous

    any of a variety of eruptive skin disorders characterized by erythema, oozing, vesiculation, and scaling. etiology is varied.
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

    a rare, x-linked immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by eczema; lymphopenia; and, recurrent pyogenic infection. it is seen exclusively in young boys. typically, immunoglobulin m levels are low and immunoglobulin a and immunoglobulin e levels are elevated. lymphoreticular malignancies are common.

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10-CM Code Edits are applicable to this code:

  • Pediatric diagnoses - The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in pediatric cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The pediatric code edits apply to patients age range is 0–17 years inclusive (e.g., Reye's syndrome, routine child health exam).

Convert L20.83 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 690.12 - Sbrheic infantl drmtitis
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (also known as atopic eczema) is a disorder characterized by inflammation of the skin (dermatitis). The condition usually begins in early infancy, and it often disappears before adolescence. However, in some affected individuals the condition continues into adulthood; in others, it does not begin until adulthood. Hallmarks of atopic dermatitis include dry, itchy skin and red rashes that come and go. The rashes can occur on any part of the body, although the pattern tends to be different at different ages. In affected infants, the rashes commonly occur on the face, scalp, hands, and feet. In children, the rashes are usually found in the bend of the elbows and knees and on the front of the neck. In adolescents and adults, the rashes typically occur on the wrists, ankles, and eyelids in addition to the bend of the elbows and knees. Scratching the itchy skin can lead to oozing and crusting of the rashes and thickening and hardening (lichenification) of the skin. The itchiness can be so severe as to disturb sleep and impair a person's quality of life.

The word "atopic" indicates an association with allergies. While atopic dermatitis is not always due to an allergic reaction, it is commonly associated with other allergic disorders: up to 60 percent of people with atopic dermatitis develop asthma or hay fever (allergic rhinitis) later in life, and up to 30 percent have food allergies. Atopic dermatitis is often the beginning of a series of allergic disorders, referred to as the "atopic march." Development of these disorders typically follows a pattern, beginning with atopic dermatitis, followed by food allergies, then hay fever, and finally asthma. However, not all individuals with atopic dermatitis will progress through the atopic march, and not all individuals with one allergic disease will develop others.

Individuals with atopic dermatitis have an increased risk of developing other conditions related to inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and hair loss caused by a malfunctioning immune reaction (alopecia areata). They also have an increased risk of having a behavioral or psychiatric disorder, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression.

In a particular subset of individuals with atopic dermatitis, the immune system is unable to protect the body from foreign invaders such as bacteria and fungi (which is known as immunodeficiency). These individuals are prone to recurrent infections. Most also have other allergic disorders, such as asthma, hay fever, and food allergies.

Atopic dermatitis can also be a feature of separate disorders that have a number of signs and symptoms, which can include skin abnormalities and immunodeficiency. Some such disorders are Netherton syndrome; immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome; and severe dermatitis, multiple allergies, metabolic wasting (SAM) syndrome.


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Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.