2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R20.2Paresthesia of skin
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R20-R23›R20
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R20.2 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for paresthesia of skin. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 91 through 93. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Skin/Subcutaneous signs and symptoms.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Autoimmune movement disorder
- Circumoral paresthesia
- Facial diplegia with paresthesia
- Facial paresthesia
- Formication
- Formication of skin
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Has prickling sensation
- Injection site paresthesia
- Numbness and tingling sensation of skin
- Oral paresthesia
- Paresthesia
- Paresthesia of bilateral hands
- Paresthesia of finger
- Paresthesia of foot
- Paresthesia of hand
- Paresthesia of left lower limb
- Paresthesia of left upper limb
- Paresthesia of lower extremity
- Paresthesia of mucous membrane
- Paresthesia of right lower limb
- Paresthesia of right upper limb
- Paresthesia of saddle area
- Paresthesia of upper limb
- Pins and needles
- Psychogenic formication
- Psychogenic sensory disturbance of skin
- Psychogenic skin disease
- Stinging of skin
- Tactile hallucinations
- Tingling of skin
- Transient paresthesia
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R20.2: its own notes plus those printed at R20, block R20-R23, and Chapter 18. 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.
- Formication
- Pins and needles
- Tingling skin
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- acroparesthesia (I73.8)
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.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
- Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
- The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
- (a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
- (b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
- (c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
- (d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
- (e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
- (f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name R20.2, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes2 1
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming R20.2: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Disturbance (s) See Also: Disease;
Formication R20.2
Hemiparesthesia R20.2
Paresthesia See Also: Disturbance, sensation, skin; R20.2
Pins and needles R20.2
prickling (skin) R20.2
tingling (skin) R20.2
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Formication
subjective cutaneous sensations of insects in the absence of stimulation.Paresthesia
subjective cutaneous sensations (e.g., cold, warmth, tingling, pressure, etc.) that are experienced spontaneously in the absence of stimulation.
Patient EducationClinical
Neurologic Diseases
The brain, spinal cord, and nerves make up the nervous system. Together they control all the workings of the body. When something goes wrong with a part of your nervous system, you can have trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, or learning. You can also have problems with your memory, senses, or mood.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R20.2 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R20.2Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for paresthesia of skin?
The ICD-10-CM code for paresthesia of skin is R20.2 (sometimes written as R202). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R20.2 (Disturbances of skin sensation) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report paresthesia of skin on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R20.2 group to?
When paresthesia of skin is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 91, 92, 93, with relative weights from 0.7783 to 1.7050 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R20.2 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the paresthesia of skin is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
Can R20.2 be reported with I73.8?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on R20.2 lists "acroparesthesia (I73.8)". 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).
