2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q17.9Congenital malformation of ear, unspecified
ICD-10-CM Codes›Q00-Q99›Q10-Q18›Q17
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- POA Exempt
- Chronic Condition
Q17.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for congenital malformation of ear, unspecified. 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
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
Q17.9 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.
- Anomaly of fetal ear
- Bilateral congenital malformation of ears
- Bilateral congenital malformation of external ears
- BRESEK syndrome
- CODAS syndrome
- Coloboma, congenital heart disease, ichthyosiform dermatosis, intellectual disability ear anomaly syndrome
- Conductive deafness, malformed external ear syndrome
- Congenital abnormality of external ear
- Congenital absence of nipple
- Congenital anomaly of left ear
- Congenital anomaly of lobe of ear
- Congenital anomaly of right ear
- Congenital conductive hearing loss
- Congenital deformity of ear
- Congenital deformity of pinna
- Congenital malformation of ear
- Congenital malformation of eye, ear and neck
- Congenital malformation of left external ear
- Congenital malformation of right external ear
- Ear, face and neck congenital anomalies
- EVEN-plus syndrome
- Flat face, microstomia, ear anomaly syndrome
- Frontonasal dysplasia sequence
- Microstomia
- Oculoauricular syndrome Schorderet type
- Oculoauriculofrontonasal syndrome
- Oro-facial digital syndrome type 10
- Oro-facial digital syndrome type 9
- Otofaciocervical syndrome
- Oto-onycho-peroneal syndrome
- PHAVER syndrome
- Scalp, ear, nipple syndrome
- Sellars Beighton syndrome
- Syndactyly, polydactyly, ear lobe syndrome
- Upper limb defect with eye and ear abnormalities syndrome
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Q17.9: 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 anomaly of ear NOS
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
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.
- 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)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- 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.
ear (acquired) See Also: Disorder, pinna, deformity;
congenital (external) Q17.9
pinna, acquired See Also: Disorder, pinna, deformity;
congenital Q17.9
Malformation (congenital) See Also: Anomaly;
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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 Q17.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About Q17.9Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for congenital malformation of ear, unspecified?
The ICD-10-CM code for congenital malformation of ear, unspecified is Q17.9 (sometimes written as Q179). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is Q17.9 (Other congenital malformations of ear) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report congenital malformation of ear, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does Q17.9 group to?
When congenital malformation of ear, unspecified 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 Q17.9 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 congenital malformation of ear, unspecified 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 Q17.9 be reported with Q18.1?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at Q17, which applies to Q17.9, 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).
