2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q43.7Persistent cloaca

ICD-10-CM Codes›Q00-Q99›Q38-Q45›Q43

ICD-10-CM Q43.7
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

Q43.7 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for persistent cloaca. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 393 through 395. 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 21 closely related codes. The code is exempt from POA reporting. Coders also document this condition as cloacal disease. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Digestive congenital anomalies.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Q43.7
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Persistent cloaca
Short Description
Persistent cloaca
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Q43
Other congenital malformations of intestine

Code Classification

ChapterQ00-Q99Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
SectionQ38-Q45Other congenital malformations of the digestive system
CategoryQ43Other congenital malformations of intestine
This CodeQ43.7Persistent cloaca

Present on Admission (POA)Billing

Q43.7 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45).

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Cloacal disease
  • Persistent cloaca
  • Persistent urogenital sinus
  • Persistent urogenital sinus, high confluence
  • Persistent urogenital sinus, low confluence

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Q43.7: its own notes plus those printed at 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.

  • Cloaca NOS

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 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.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name Q43.7, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming Q43.7: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • Q52.2 Congenital rectovaginal fistula
    cloaca (Q43.7)

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 MAL002
Digestive congenital anomalies
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Persistent Cloaca

    a congenital abnormality in which the rectum, vagina, and urethra fuse and form a common channel.

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 Q43.7 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
751.5 Intestinal anomaly 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 Q43.7Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for persistent cloaca?

The ICD-10-CM code for persistent cloaca is Q43.7 (sometimes written as Q437). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is Q43.7 (Other congenital malformations of intestine) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report persistent cloaca on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does Q43.7 group to?

When persistent cloaca is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 394, 395, 393, with relative weights from 0.6379 to 1.5877 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is Q43.7 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists Q43.7 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 21 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

Is Q43.7 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 persistent cloaca on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45) range of the CMS exempt list.