2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R23.1Pallor
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R20-R23›R23
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R23.1 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pallor. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 947 through 948. 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.
- Blanching of skin
- Blanching of skin of lower leg on elevation
- Clammy skin
- Cocaine-induced acrocyanosis and livedo reticularis
- Cold and clammy skin
- Cold skin
- Complexion finding
- Decreased skin temperature
- Facial dysmorphism, immunodeficiency, livedo, short stature syndrome
- Finding of color of limb
- Idiopathic livedo reticularis
- Idiopathic livedo reticularis with summer ulceration
- Idiopathic livedo reticularis with systemic involvement
- Idiopathic livedo reticularis with winter ulcer
- Livedo
- Livedo racemosa
- Livedo reticularis
- Lividity
- Moist skin
- Pale complexion
- Pale discoloration of entire skin of body
- Pale face
- Skin lesion in drug addict
- Sneddon syndrome
- White extremities
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R23.1: its own notes plus those printed at 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.
- Clammy skin
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.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Change (s) (in) (of) See Also: Removal;
Clammy skin R23.1
Pallor R23.1
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Pallor
a clinical manifestation consisting of an unnatural paleness of the skin.
Patient EducationClinical
Skin Conditions
Your skin is your body's largest organ. It covers the entire outside of your body. There are many ways that your skin protects your body and helps keep you healthy. For example, it:
The full article covers:
- What does your skin do?
- What problems and conditions can affect your skin?
- How can I keep my skin healthy?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R23.1 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R23.1Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for pallor?
The ICD-10-CM code for pallor is R23.1 (sometimes written as R231). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R23.1 (Other skin changes) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report pallor on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R23.1 group to?
When pallor is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 948, 947, with relative weights from 0.7833 to 1.2608 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R23.1 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the pallor is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R23.1?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, pallor converts to ICD-9-CM 782.61 (pallor). The mapping is a direct match.
