Unspecified contracted kidney (N26)
The ICD-10 code section N26 covers conditions involving a contracted or shrunken kidney, including unspecified cases, kidney atrophy, Page kidney, and renal sclerosis. These codes are used to classify various forms of kidney size reduction and tissue scarring.
Specifically, N26.1 refers to atrophy of the kidney, which means the kidney tissue has shrunk or wasted away, often noted as atrophy of the left or right kidney. The term "atrophy of kidney" helps link this common name to the corresponding code. N26.2 represents Page kidney, a rare condition where external compression causes kidney function impairment. Meanwhile, N26.9 stands for renal sclerosis, unspecified, which involves scarring and hardening of kidney tissue. This includes various related terms such as glomerulosclerosis, renal fibrosis, and ischemic nephropathy. Understanding these synonyms helps clarify when to use N26.9 for different patterns of kidney scarring or sclerosis. Medical coders use these specific ICD-10 codes to accurately document kidney contraction and related pathologies in clinical and billing records.
Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00–N99)
Other disorders of kidney and ureter (N25-N29)
N26 Unspecified contracted kidney
- N26.1 Atrophy of kidney (terminal)
- N26.2 Page kidney
- N26.9 Renal sclerosis, unspecified
Unspecified contracted kidney (N26)
Instructional Notations
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
