2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code N48.21Abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis

ICD-10-CM Codes›N00–N99›N40-N53›N48

ICD-10-CM N48.21
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

N48.21 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 727 through 728. Coders also document this condition as abscess of corpus cavernosum. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Inflammatory conditions of male genital organs.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
N48.21
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis
Short Description
Abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
N48.2
Other inflammatory disorders of penis

Code Classification

ChapterN00–N99Diseases of the genitourinary system
SectionN40-N53Diseases of male genital organs
CategoryN48Other disorders of penis
This CodeN48.21Abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abscess of corpus cavernosum
  • Abscess of penis
  • Boil of penis
  • Carbuncle of corpus cavernosum
  • Carbuncle of penis
  • Carbuncle of perineum
  • Cavernitis of penis
  • Furuncle of male genital

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • corpus
        • cavernosum
    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • parafrenal
    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • penis
    • Carbuncle
      • corpus cavernosum
    • Carbuncle
      • penis
    • Disease, diseased
      • inflammatory
        • penis
          • abscess
    • Disease, diseased
      • penis
        • inflammatory
          • abscess
    • Disorder(of)
      • inflammatory
        • penis
          • abscess
    • Furuncle
      • corpus cavernosum
    • Furuncle
      • penis

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR GEN013
Inflammatory conditions of male genital organs
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

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 N48.21 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
607.2 Inflam dis, penis NEC
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About N48.21Overview

Is N48.21 (Other inflammatory disorders of penis) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does N48.21 group to?

When abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 727, 728, with relative weights from 0.8112 to 1.4829 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of N48.21?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, abscess of corpus cavernosum and penis converts to ICD-9-CM 607.2 (inflam dis, penis NEC). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

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.