2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H18.52

Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy

ICD-10-CM Code:
H18.52
ICD-10 Code for:
Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy
Is Billable?
Not Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the eye and adnexa
    (H00–H59)
    • Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body
      (H15-H22)
      • Other disorders of cornea
        (H18)

H18.52 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2024 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Specific Coding Applicable to Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy

Non-specific codes like H18.52 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10-CM codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy:

  • Use H18.521 for Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy, right eye - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H18.522 for Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy, left eye - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H18.523 for Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy, bilateral - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use H18.529 for Epithelial (juvenile) corneal dystrophy, unspecified eye - BILLABLE CODE

Clinical Classification

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert H18.52 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 371.51 - Juv epith cornea dystrph

Patient Education


Corneal Disorders

Your cornea is the outermost layer of your eye. It is clear and shaped like a dome. The cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. It also helps your eye to focus. If you wear contact lenses, they float on top of your corneas.

Problems with the cornea include:

  • Refractive errors
  • Allergies
  • Infections
  • Injuries
  • Dystrophies - conditions in which parts of the cornea lose clarity due to a buildup of cloudy material

Treatments of corneal disorders include medicines, corneal transplantation, and corneal laser surgery.

NIH: National Eye Institute


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Meesmann corneal dystrophy

Meesmann corneal dystrophy is an eye disease that affects the cornea, which is the clear front covering of the eye. This condition is characterized by the formation of tiny round cysts in the outermost layer of the cornea, called the corneal epithelium. This part of the cornea acts as a barrier to help prevent foreign materials, such as dust and bacteria, from entering the eye.

In people with Meesmann corneal dystrophy, cysts can appear as early as the first year of life. They usually affect both eyes and increase in number over time. The cysts usually do not cause any symptoms until late adolescence or adulthood, when they start to break open (rupture) on the surface of the cornea and cause irritation. The resulting symptoms typically include increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), twitching of the eyelids (blepharospasm), increased tear production, the sensation of having a foreign object in the eye, and an inability to tolerate wearing contact lenses. Some affected individuals also have temporary episodes of blurred vision.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - Code Deleted, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.