Urethral stricture (N35)

The ICD-10 code N35 series is used to classify various types of urethral strictures, which refer to narrowing or blockage of the urethra. These codes specify the cause, location, and patient’s sex to ensure precise diagnosis and treatment documentation.

The codes cover post-traumatic urethral stricture (e.g., N35.0 for traumatic injury-related narrowing), including detailed male site-specific options such as meatal (N35.010), bulbous (N35.011), membranous (N35.012), and anterior strictures (N35.013). For females, childbirth-related strictures are coded as N35.021. The postinfective urethral stricture codes (N35.1 series) apply when the narrowing follows an infection, with male-specific subcodes identifying exact locations. Other and unspecified strictures are classified under N35.8 and N35.9, with distinctions for male and female patients and specific or unknown sites. Synonyms like “stenosis of urinary meatus” and “penile urethral stricture” help clarify coding choices, assisting clinicians and coders in selecting the precise ICD-10 code for conditions such as urethral spasm, traumatic bulbar stricture, or postobstetric urethral stricture.

N35 - Urethral stricture
N35.0 - Post-traumatic urethral stricture
N35.01 - Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male
N35.02 - Post-traumatic urethral stricture, female
N35.1 - Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere clas
N35.11 - Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere cla
N35.8 - Other urethral stricture
N35.81 - Other urethral stricture, male
N35.9 - Urethral stricture, unspecified
N35.91 - Urethral stricture, unspecified, male

Filter diagnosis codes list:

Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00–N99)
- Other diseases of the urinary system (N30-N39)
  - - N35 Urethral stricture
    - N35.0 Post-traumatic urethral stricture
    - N35.01 Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male
    - N35.010 Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, meatal
    - N35.011 Post-traumatic bulbous urethral stricture
    - N35.012 Post-traumatic membranous urethral stricture
    - N35.013 Post-traumatic anterior urethral stricture
    - N35.014 Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, unspecified
    - N35.016 Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites
    - N35.02 Post-traumatic urethral stricture, female
    - N35.021 Urethral stricture due to childbirth
    - N35.028 Other post-traumatic urethral stricture, female
    - N35.1 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified
    - N35.11 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
    - N35.111 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, meatal
    - N35.112 Postinfective bulbous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
    - N35.113 Postinfective membranous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
    - N35.114 Postinfective anterior urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
    - N35.116 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, overlapping sites
    - N35.119 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, unspecified
    - N35.12 Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, female
    - N35.8 Other urethral stricture
    - N35.81 Other urethral stricture, male
    - N35.811 Other urethral stricture, male, meatal
    - N35.812 Other bulbous urethral stricture, male
    - N35.813 Other membranous urethral stricture, male
    - N35.814 Other anterior urethral stricture, male
    - N35.816 Other urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites
    - N35.819 Other urethral stricture, male, unspecified site
    - N35.82 Other urethral stricture, female
    - N35.9 Urethral stricture, unspecified
    - N35.91 Urethral stricture, unspecified, male
    - N35.911 Unspecified urethral stricture, male, meatal
    - N35.912 Unspecified bulbous urethral stricture, male
    - N35.913 Unspecified membranous urethral stricture, male
    - N35.914 Unspecified anterior urethral stricture, male
    - N35.916 Unspecified urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites
    - N35.919 Unspecified urethral stricture, male, unspecified site
    - N35.92 Unspecified urethral stricture, female

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.

congenital urethral stricture Q64.3
postprocedural urethral stricture N99.1

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.

Urethra

A tube that transports URINE from the URINARY BLADDER to the outside of the body in both the sexes. It also has a reproductive function in the male by providing a passage for SPERM.