2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q18.2Other branchial cleft malformations
ICD-10-CM Codes›Q00-Q99›Q10-Q18›Q18
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- POA Exempt
- Chronic Condition
Q18.2 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other branchial cleft malformations. 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. Coders also document this condition as brachial cleft vestige excised. 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
Q18.2 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.
- Brachial cleft vestige excised
- Branchial cleft anomaly
- Branchial cleft cyst
- Cervical auricle
- Congenital anomaly of first branchial cleft
- Congenital anomaly of fourth branchial cleft
- Congenital anomaly of second branchial cleft
- Congenital anomaly of third branchial cleft
- Midline cervical cleft
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Q18.2: its own notes plus those printed at Q18, 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.
- Branchial cleft malformation NOS
- Cervical auricle
- Otocephaly
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.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name Q18.2, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming Q18.2: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Auricle, auricular See Also: condition;
cervical Q18.2
Branchial See: condition;
cartilage, congenital Q18.2
Cleft (congenital) See Also: Imperfect, closure;
branchial (persistent) Q18.2
Malformation (congenital) See Also: Anomaly;
branchial cleft Q18.2
Otocephaly Q18.2
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Birth Defects
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Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert Q18.2 to ICD-9-CMHistory
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About Q18.2Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for other branchial cleft malformations?
The ICD-10-CM code for other branchial cleft malformations is Q18.2 (sometimes written as Q182). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is Q18.2 (Other congenital malformations of face and neck) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other branchial cleft malformations on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does Q18.2 group to?
When other branchial cleft malformations 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 Q18.2 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 branchial cleft malformations 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 Q18.2 be reported with a code from Q75?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at Q18, which applies to Q18.2, lists "congenital malformations of skull and face bones (Q75.-)". 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).
