2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code N34.0Urethral abscess
ICD-10-CM Codes›N00–N99›N30-N39›N34
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
N34.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for urethral abscess. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 689 through 690, 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 136 closely related codes. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Urinary tract infections.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Abscess gonococcal
- Abscess of Cowper's gland
- Abscess of Littré's glands
- Abscess of urethral gland
- Abscess of urethral gland caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Carbuncle of urethra
- Gonococcal Littré gland abscess
- Gonococcal paraurethral gland abscess
- Gonococcal urethral abscess
- Infection of lower genitourinary tract co-occurrent with abscess of periurethral gland caused by Gonococcus
- Periurethral abscess
- Periurethral cellulitis
- Schistosomal periurethral abscess
- Urethral abscess
- Urethral and periurethral abscess
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to N34.0: its own notes plus those printed at N34, block N30-N39, and Chapter 14. 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.
- Abscess (of) Cowper's gland
- Abscess (of) Littré's gland
- Abscess (of) urethral (gland)
- Periurethral abscess
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- urethral caruncle (N36.2)
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.
- 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)
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the 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 N34.0, its category, or a range that includes it.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Abscess (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic) L02.91
bulbourethral gland N34.0
Cowper's gland N34.0
lacunar N34.0
Littre's gland N34.0
perineum, perineal (superficial) L02.215
urethra N34.0
periurethral N34.0
Skene's duct or gland N34.0
suburethral N34.0
urethral (gland) N34.0
urinary N34.0
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Abscess
An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert N34.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About N34.0Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for urethral abscess?
The ICD-10-CM code for urethral abscess is N34.0 (sometimes written as N340). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is N34.0 (Urethritis and urethral syndrome) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report urethral abscess on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does N34.0 group to?
When urethral abscess is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 689, 690, with relative weights from 0.8008 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is N34.0 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists N34.0 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 136 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Can N34.0 be reported with N36.2?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on N34.0 lists "urethral caruncle (N36.2)". 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).
