Infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L08)

ICD-10 codes L00 through L08 are used to diagnose a variety of skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, including specific conditions like staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome and impetigo. These codes facilitate the precise classification of bacterial infections such as abscesses, furuncles (boils), carbuncles, cellulitis, acute lymphangitis, acute lymphadenitis, pilonidal cysts, and other localized skin infections.

This range covers infections that affect different body areas, with detailed codes specifying the location and type of infection. For instance, L00 represents staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, commonly known as neonatal staphylococcal infection of skin. The impetigo group includes forms like non-bullous impetigo (L01.01), bullous impetigo (L01.03), and impetiginized dermatoses (L01.1). Codes from L02 classify cutaneous abscesses, furuncles, and carbuncles by body part, such as the face, neck, trunk, limbs, hands, and feet. Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis (L03) are coded by affected limb or region, with acute lymphadenitis (L04) addressing infected lymph nodes in various sites. Pilonidal cysts and sinuses (L05) and other local skin infections like pyoderma (L08.0) and erythrasma (L08.1) have specific codes too. Including common synonyms helps coders accurately link symptoms and diagnoses to the correct code for billing and treatment planning.

Instructional Notations

Use Additional Code

The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.

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.

  • hordeolum H00.0
  • infective dermatitis L30.3
  • local infections of skin classified in Chapter 1
  • lupus panniculitis L93.2
  • panniculitis NOS M79.3
  • panniculitis of neck and back M54.0
  • Perlèche NOS K13.0
  • Perlèche due to candidiasis B37.0
  • Perlèche due to riboflavin deficiency E53.0
  • pyogenic granuloma L98.0
  • relapsing panniculitis [Weber-Christian] M35.6
  • viral warts B07
  • zoster B02