Leishmaniasis (B55)
ICD-10 code B55 and its subcategories identify different forms of leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection caused by Leishmania species. These codes specify whether the infection affects internal organs, skin, mucous membranes, or remains unspecified, helping healthcare professionals accurately diagnose and report this disease.
Specifically, B55.0 is used for visceral leishmaniasis, which affects internal organs like the liver and spleen and is sometimes simply called "leishmaniasis." The code B55.1 captures various types of cutaneous leishmaniasis, encompassing many synonyms such as "American cutaneous leishmaniasis," "Indian anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis," and "localized infection of skin." This illustrates the code’s wide scope for skin and subcutaneous tissue infections. B55.2 represents mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, also known by names like "bush yaws" or "American mucocutaneous leishmaniasis," which involves infection of mucous membranes. Finally, B55.9 covers unspecified leishmaniasis, including conditions like "leishmanial pneumonia" or "hemorrhagic leishmaniasis" when the form isn’t clearly defined. Understanding these synonyms alongside their ICD-10 codes helps coders select the precise code for each clinical presentation.
Clinical Terms
The following clinical terms provide additional context, helping users better understand the clinical background and common associations for each diagnosis listed in this section. Including related terms alongside ICD-10-CM codes supports coders, billers, and healthcare professionals in improving accuracy, enhancing documentation, and facilitating research or patient education.
Leishmania
A genus of flagellate protozoa comprising several species that are pathogenic for humans. Organisms of this genus have an amastigote and a promastigote stage in their life cycles. As a result of enzymatic studies this single genus has been divided into two subgenera: Leishmania leishmania and Leishmania viannia. Species within the Leishmania leishmania subgenus include: L. aethiopica, L. arabica, L. donovani, L. enrietti, L. gerbilli, L. hertigi, L. infantum, L. major, L. mexicana, and L. tropica. The following species are those that compose the Leishmania viannia subgenus: L. braziliensis, L. guyanensis, L. lainsoni, L. naiffi, and L. shawi.
Leishmania donovani
A parasitic hemoflagellate of the subgenus Leishmania leishmania that infects man and animals and causes visceral leishmaniasis (LEISHMANIASIS, VISCERAL). The sandfly genera Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia are the vectors.
Leishmaniasis
A disease caused by any of a number of species of protozoa in the genus LEISHMANIA. There are four major clinical types of this infection: cutaneous (Old and New World) (LEISHMANIASIS, CUTANEOUS), diffuse cutaneous (LEISHMANIASIS, DIFFUSE CUTANEOUS), mucocutaneous (LEISHMANIASIS, MUCOCUTANEOUS), and visceral (LEISHMANIASIS, VISCERAL).
Leishmaniasis Vaccines
Vaccines or candidate vaccines used to prevent infection with LEISHMANIA.
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
An endemic disease that is characterized by the development of single or multiple localized lesions on exposed areas of skin that typically ulcerate. The disease has been divided into Old and New World forms. Old World leishmaniasis is separated into three distinct types according to epidemiology and clinical manifestations and is caused by species of the L. tropica and L. aethiopica complexes as well as by species of the L. major genus. New World leishmaniasis, also called American leishmaniasis, occurs in South and Central America and is caused by species of the L. mexicana or L. braziliensis complexes.
Leishmaniasis, Diffuse Cutaneous
A form of LEISHMANIASIS, CUTANEOUS caused by Leishmania aethiopica in Ethiopia and Kenya, L. pifanoi in Venezuela, L. braziliensis in South America, and L. mexicana in Central America. This disease is characterized by massive dissemination of skin lesions without visceral involvement.
Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous
A disease characterized by the chronic, progressive spread of lesions from New World cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by species of the L. braziliensis complex to the nasal, pharyngeal, and buccal mucosa some time after the appearance of the initial cutaneous lesion. Nasal obstruction and epistaxis are frequent presenting symptoms.
Leishmaniasis, Visceral
A chronic disease caused by LEISHMANIA DONOVANI and transmitted by the bite of several sandflies of the genera Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia. It is commonly characterized by fever, chills, vomiting, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, leukopenia, hypergammaglobulinemia, emaciation, and an earth-gray color of the skin. The disease is classified into three main types according to geographic distribution: Indian, Mediterranean (or infantile), and African.
