2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L81.9
Disorder of pigmentation, unspecified
- ICD-10-CM Code:
- L81.9
- ICD-10 Code for:
- Disorder of pigmentation, unspecified
- Is Billable?
- Yes - Valid for Submission
- Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
- Not chronic
- Code Navigator:
L81.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of disorder of pigmentation, unspecified. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Unspecified diagnosis codes like L81.9 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.
Approximate Synonyms
The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.
- Application site pigmentation changes
- Atypical pigmented lesion
- Benign pigmented skin lesion
- Crust on skin
- Crusting of pigmented skin lesion
- Disorder of pigmentation
- Disorder of pigmentation of skin following cosmetic surgery
- Disorder of skin color
- Disorder of skin pigmentation
- Drug pigmentation
- Drug-induced oral condition
- Drug-induced oral pigmentation
- Drug-induced pigmentation
- Exogenous pigmentation of oral mucosa
- Extrasystoles, short stature, hyperpigmentation, microcephaly syndrome
- Finding of color of female perineum
- Genetic disorder of skin pigmentation
- Hyperpigmentation of female perineum
- Hyperpigmentation of skin
- Injection site pigmentation change
- Itching of pigmented skin lesion
- Non-melanin pigmentation caused by exogenous substance
- Occupationally-acquired disorder of skin pigmentation
- Oozing of pigmented skin lesion
- Pattern of pigmentation
- Physiological pigmentation
- Physiological pigmentation of mucous membranes
- Pigmentation caused by bismuth
- Pigmentation defects, palmoplantar keratoderma, skin carcinoma syndrome
- Pigmentation disorder of lip
- Pigmentation of skin caused by artificial ultraviolet light
- Pigmentation of skin or mucosa
- Pigmentation of skin or mucosa
- Pigmented skin lesion
- Pigmented skin lesion of lower limb
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature of head
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature of lower extremity
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature of neck
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature of trunk
- Pigmented skin lesion of uncertain nature of upper limb
- Skin discharge
- Skin pigmentation
- Skin pigmentation
- Subcutaneous component of pigmented skin lesion
- Ultraviolet-induced skin pigmentation - tanning
Clinical Classification
Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.
They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.
Other specified and unspecified skin disorders
CCSR Code: SKN007
Inpatient Default: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Clinical Information
Skin Pigmentation
coloration of the skin.Skin Pigmentation
the color of the skin as determined by the amount of melanin present.Skin Pigmentation Disorder|Pigmentation Disorders
a disorder of the skin characterized by loss or reduction of the skin color. it is caused by loss of melanocytes or abnormalities in melanin production.
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).
- Dermatosis - L98.9
- pigmentary - L81.9
- Disorder (of) - See Also: Disease;
- pigmentation - L81.9
- Dyschromia (skin) - L81.9
- pigment, pigmented (skin) - L81.9
- Pigmentation (abnormal) (anomaly) - L81.9
Index of External Cause of Injuries
References found for this diagnosis code in the External Cause of Injuries Index:
- Anomaly, anomalous(congenital) (unspecified type)
- pigmentation
- Dermatosis
- pigmentary
- Disorder(of)
- pigmentation
- Dyschromia(skin)
- Lesion(s) (nontraumatic)
- pigment, pigmented (skin)
- Pigmentation(abnormal) (anomaly)
Convert L81.9 to ICD-9-CM
Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.
Dyschromia, unspecified
ICD-9-CM: 709.00
This is a direct match with no additional mapping qualifiers. The absence of a flag generally means the mapping is considered exact or precise. In other words, the ICD-10 code maps cleanly to the ICD-9 code without qualification, approximation, or needing multiple codes.
Patient Education
Skin Pigmentation Disorders
Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Special cells in the skin make melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body.
If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter. Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting a person's skin. A person with albinism may have no color, lighter than normal skin color, or patchy missing skin color. Infections, blisters and burns can also cause lighter skin.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]
Code History
- FY 2026 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026
- FY 2025 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025
- 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 - No Change, 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.
