C44.2 vs Z85.22

C44.2 (Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal) compared with Z85.22 (Personal history of malignant neoplasm of nasal cavities, middle ear, and accessory sinuses), from the official CMS tabular data. Z85.22 is the personal-history/screening code for the active disease C44.2 names.

Relationship

Review

Condition lifecycle relationship

Z85.22

Personal history of malignant neoplasm of nasal cavities, middle ear, and accessory sinuses

↔

C44.2

Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal

Personal-history or screening code versus the active disease.

Active disease for this site (ear)

A personal-history code describes a condition that no longer exists and is no longer being treated, so it is not interchangeable with the active-disease code for the same site.

Source: CMS Table of Neoplasms (site match derived from the code title)

Can these codes be reported together?

History or screening versus active disease. Z85.22 is the personal-history or screening code for the active disease C44.2 names.

Site match derived from the code’s own title against the CMS Table of Neoplasms. A personal-history code describes a condition that no longer exists and is no longer being treated, so it is not interchangeable with the active-disease code.

Side by side

	C44.2Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal	Z85.22Personal history of malignant neoplasm of nasal cavities, middle ear, and accessory sinuses
Billing status	Non-billable header Report instead: C44.201, C44.202, C44.209, C44.211, C44.212	Billable
Classification	C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49)	Z00-Z99 — Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services (Z00-Z99)
Definition	Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C44.2).	Personal history of malignant neoplasm of nasal cavities, middle ear, and accessory sinuses is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (Z85.22).
Includes	malignant neoplasm of sebaceous glands malignant neoplasm of sweat glands	Conditions classifiable to C30-C31
Use additional code	—	code to identify: alcohol use and dependence (F10.-) exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
Code first	—	any follow-up examination after treatment of malignant neoplasm (Z08)

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources