Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis (L03) ICD-10-CM
The L03 code range covers cellulitis and acute lymphangitis with 74 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. 55 of them are billable and valid for claim submission in fiscal year 2026, and the category headers group them but cannot themselves be billed.
Type 2 Excludes
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
- cellulitis of anal and rectal region K61
- cellulitis of external auditory canal H60.1
- cellulitis of eyelid H00.0
- cellulitis of female external genital organs N76.4
- cellulitis of lacrimal apparatus H04.3
- cellulitis of male external genital organs N48.2 N49
- cellulitis of mouth K12.2
- cellulitis of nose J34.0
- eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells] L98.3
- febrile neutrophilic dermatosis [Sweet] L98.2
- lymphangitis chronic subacute I89.1
Codes in the L03 Range 74 codes · 55 billable
- L03 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitisNon-billable
- L03.0 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of finger and toeNon-billable
- L03.01 Cellulitis of fingerNon-billable
- L03.011 Cellulitis of right finger
- L03.012 Cellulitis of left finger
- L03.019 Cellulitis of unspecified finger
- L03.02 Acute lymphangitis of fingerNon-billable
- L03.021 Acute lymphangitis of right finger
- L03.022 Acute lymphangitis of left finger
- L03.029 Acute lymphangitis of unspecified finger
- L03.03 Cellulitis of toeNon-billable
- L03.031 Cellulitis of right toe
- L03.032 Cellulitis of left toe
- L03.039 Cellulitis of unspecified toe
- L03.04 Acute lymphangitis of toeNon-billable
- L03.041 Acute lymphangitis of right toe
- L03.042 Acute lymphangitis of left toe
- L03.049 Acute lymphangitis of unspecified toe
- L03.1 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of other parts of limbNon-billable
- L03.11 Cellulitis of other parts of limbNon-billable
- L03.111 Cellulitis of right axilla
- L03.112 Cellulitis of left axilla
- L03.113 Cellulitis of right upper limb
- L03.114 Cellulitis of left upper limb
- L03.115 Cellulitis of right lower limb
- L03.116 Cellulitis of left lower limb
- L03.119 Cellulitis of unspecified part of limb
- L03.12 Acute lymphangitis of other parts of limbNon-billable
- L03.121 Acute lymphangitis of right axilla
- L03.122 Acute lymphangitis of left axilla
- L03.123 Acute lymphangitis of right upper limb
- L03.124 Acute lymphangitis of left upper limb
- L03.125 Acute lymphangitis of right lower limb
- L03.126 Acute lymphangitis of left lower limb
- L03.129 Acute lymphangitis of unspecified part of limb
- L03.2 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of face and neckNon-billable
- L03.21 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of faceNon-billable
- L03.211 Cellulitis of face
- L03.212 Acute lymphangitis of face
- L03.213 Periorbital cellulitis
- L03.22 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of neckNon-billable
- L03.221 Cellulitis of neck
- L03.222 Acute lymphangitis of neck
- L03.3 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of trunkNon-billable
- L03.31 Cellulitis of trunkNon-billable
- L03.311 Cellulitis of abdominal wall
- L03.312 Cellulitis of back [any part except buttock]
- L03.313 Cellulitis of chest wall
- L03.314 Cellulitis of groin
- L03.315 Cellulitis of perineum
- L03.316 Cellulitis of umbilicus
- L03.317 Cellulitis of buttock
- L03.319 Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified
- L03.31A Cellulitis of flank New
- L03.32 Acute lymphangitis of trunkNon-billable
- L03.321 Acute lymphangitis of abdominal wall
- L03.322 Acute lymphangitis of back [any part except buttock]
- L03.323 Acute lymphangitis of chest wall
- L03.324 Acute lymphangitis of groin
- L03.325 Acute lymphangitis of perineum
- L03.326 Acute lymphangitis of umbilicus
- L03.327 Acute lymphangitis of buttock
- L03.329 Acute lymphangitis of trunk, unspecified
- L03.32A Acute lymphangitis of flank New
- L03.8 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of other sitesNon-billable
- L03.81 Cellulitis of other sitesNon-billable
- L03.811 Cellulitis of head [any part, except face]
- L03.818 Cellulitis of other sites
- L03.89 Acute lymphangitis of other sitesNon-billable
- L03.891 Acute lymphangitis of head [any part, except face]
- L03.898 Acute lymphangitis of other sites
- L03.9 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis, unspecifiedNon-billable
- L03.90 Cellulitis, unspecified
- L03.91 Acute lymphangitis, unspecified
Clinical Terms in This Code Range
Definitions from the National Library of Medicine for conditions coded in the L03 range.
Broad Ligament
A broad fold of peritoneum that extends from the side of the uterus to the wall of the pelvis.
Cellulitis
An acute, diffuse, and suppurative inflammation of loose connective tissue, particularly the deep subcutaneous tissues, and sometimes muscle, which is most commonly seen as a result of infection of a wound, ulcer, or other skin lesions.
Orbital Cellulitis
Inflammation of the loose connective tissues around the ORBIT, bony structure around the eyeball. It is characterized by PAIN; EDEMA of the CONJUNCTIVA; swelling of the EYELIDS; EXOPHTHALMOS; limited eye movement; and loss of vision.
Parametritis
Inflammation of the parametrium, the connective tissue of the pelvic floor, extending from the subserous coat of the uterus laterally between the layers of the BROAD LIGAMENT.
Paronychia
An inflammatory reaction involving the folds of the skin surrounding the fingernail. It is characterized by acute or chronic purulent, tender, and painful swellings of the tissues around the nail, caused by an abscess of the nail fold. The pathogenic yeast causing paronychia is most frequently Candida albicans. Saprophytic fungi may also be involved. The causative bacteria are usually Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Streptococcus. (Andrews' Diseases of the Skin, 8th ed, p271)
About the L03 Code Range
ICD-10 codes in the L03 section cover diagnosis of cellulitis and acute lymphangitis, which are infections affecting the skin, underlying tissues, and lymphatic vessels. These codes specify the infected body part, such as fingers, toes, limbs, face, neck, trunk, or other sites.
This section includes precise codes like L03.011 for cellulitis of the right finger, often called "paronychia" or "onychia" when involving nail infections, and L03.031 for cellulitis of the right toe, which may relate to ingrown nails or abscesses. Acute lymphangitis codes, such as L03.121 for right axilla or L03.321 for abdominal wall, identify inflammation of lymph vessels. The detailed codes help medical coders distinguish between sites and specify laterality (right, left, unspecified), aiding accurate clinical documentation and billing. Unspecified codes like L03.90 for general cellulitis or L03.91 for unspecified lymphangitis serve when more precise localization is unavailable. Understanding synonyms like "preseptal cellulitis" for periorbital cellulitis (L03.213) assists in selecting the correct ICD-10 code for cellulitis and acute lymphangitis in specialized body areas.
Questions About This Page
How many billable codes are in the L03 range?
Of the 74 codes in this range, 55 are billable and valid for claim submission from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Category header codes group them but cannot be reported on claims.
What does the L03 range classify?
The range classifies cellulitis and acute lymphangitis. Each code links to its own reference page with billing status, MS-DRG grouping, coding notes, and clinical information.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
