2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q17.8Other specified congenital malformations of ear

ICD-10-CM Codes›Q00-Q99›Q10-Q18›Q17

ICD-10-CM Q17.8
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

Q17.8 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other specified congenital malformations of ear. 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. The code is exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face, neck.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Q17.8
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Other specified congenital malformations of ear
Short Description
Other specified congenital malformations of ear
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Q17
Other congenital malformations of ear

Code Classification

ChapterQ00-Q99Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
SectionQ10-Q18Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck
CategoryQ17Other congenital malformations of ear
This CodeQ17.8Other specified congenital malformations of ear

Present on Admission (POA)Billing

Q17.8 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18).

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Auricular abnormality, cleft lip, ocular abnormality syndrome
  • Bilateral congenital malformation of external ears
  • Bilateral congenital split ear lobes
  • Cat ear
  • Congenital abnormal shape of pinna
  • Congenital abnormality of eustachian tube
  • Congenital absence of ear lobe
  • Congenital absence of external auditory canal
  • Congenital absence of pinna
  • Congenital adhesion of helix
  • Congenital anomaly of internal auditory canal
  • Congenital anomaly of lobe of ear
  • Congenital deformity of helix
  • Congenital deformity of pinna
  • Congenital malformation of helix
  • Congenital malposition of pinna
  • Congenital short ear
  • Congenital split ear lobe
  • Congenital split left ear lobe
  • Congenital split right ear lobe
  • Congenital stenosis of eustachian tube
  • Cryptotia
  • Darwin's tubercle
  • Double auditory canal
  • Ear auricle and external auditory canal absent
  • Hypoplasia of auditory canal
  • Intellectual disability, cataract, calcified pinna, myopathy syndrome
  • Mehes syndrome
  • Microtia
  • Misplaced ear
  • Pinnal calcification
  • Simple ear
  • Speech delay
  • Stenosis of eustachian tube
  • Thickened earlobe with conductive deafness syndrome
  • Vascular disorder of inner ear
  • Vascular loops of inner ear
  • Vascular malformation of inner ear
  • X-linked external auditory canal atresia, dilated internal auditory canal, facial dysmorphism syndrome

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Q17.8: its own notes plus those printed at Q17, block Q10-Q18, and Chapter 17. 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.

  • Congenital absence of lobe of ear

Excludes1

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

From Q17 Other congenital malformations of ear applies to 8 codes
  • congenital malformations of ear with impairment of hearing (Q16.0-Q16.9)
  • preauricular sinus (Q18.1)

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 Block Q10-Q18 Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck applies to 62 codes
  • cleft lip and cleft palate (Q35-Q37)
  • congenital malformation of cervical spine (Q05.0, Q05.5, Q67.5, Q76.0-Q76.4)
  • congenital malformation of larynx (Q31.-)
  • congenital malformation of lip NEC (Q38.0)
  • congenital malformation of nose (Q30.-)
  • congenital malformation of parathyroid gland (Q89.2)
  • congenital malformation of thyroid gland (Q89.2)
From Chapter 17 (Q00-QA1) Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities applies to 900 codes
  • inborn errors of metabolism (E70-E88)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 17 (Q00-QA1) Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities applies to 900 codes
  • Codes from this chapter are not for use on maternal records

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

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 MAL005
Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face, neck
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Birth Defects

A birth defect is a problem that happens while a baby is developing in the mother's body. Most birth defects happen during the first 3 months of pregnancy. One out of every 33 babies in the United States is born with a birth defect.

The full article covers:

  • What are birth defects?
  • What causes birth defects?
  • Who is at risk of having a baby with birth defects?
  • How are birth defects diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for birth defects?
  • Can birth defects be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert Q17.8 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
744.21 Cong absence of ear lobe
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
744.29 Ear anomalies 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 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About Q17.8Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for other specified congenital malformations of ear?

The ICD-10-CM code for other specified congenital malformations of ear is Q17.8 (sometimes written as Q178). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is Q17.8 (Other congenital malformations of ear) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other specified congenital malformations of ear on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does Q17.8 group to?

When other specified congenital malformations of ear 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.

Is Q17.8 exempt from POA reporting?

Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for other specified congenital malformations of ear on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18) range of the CMS exempt list.

Can Q17.8 be reported with Q18.1?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at Q17, which applies to Q17.8, lists "preauricular sinus (Q18.1)". 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).