H40.31X4 (Glaucoma secondary to eye trauma, right eye, indeterminate stage)
compared with
H40.32X4 (Glaucoma secondary to eye trauma, left eye, indeterminate stage),
from the official CMS tabular data.
Summary
These codes name the same condition on opposite sides of the body, so the documented side decides which one applies.
MedCoder-derived
What is different?
Title wording.The titles differ in one word, “right” (H40.31X4) versus “left” (H40.32X4): H40.31X4 is “Glaucoma secondary to eye trauma, right eye, indeterminate stage”; H40.32X4 is “Glaucoma secondary to eye trauma, left eye, indeterminate stage”.
Registry fact
Can these codes be reported together?
One side per condition.H40.31X4 and H40.32X4 name the same condition on opposite sides of the body. Same category and title, differing only in which side is affected — the documentation decides which one applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.
Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels
Glaucoma secondary to eye trauma, left eye, indeterminate stage
What we found
Same condition, opposite side.H40.31X4 and H40.32X4 name the same condition on opposite sides of the body.
Same category and title, differing only in which side is affected — the documentation decides which one applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.
What to review
Report the side the documentation names. Where the code set provides a bilateral code and both sides are documented, use it instead of the pair.
These codes share a category and title and differ only in the side affected. The documentation decides which applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.
Source / rule
ICD-10-CM tabular list (laterality variant derived from the code title)
Official guidance behind these answers
Section I.B.13 — Laterality · applies to: Laterality
Some ICD-10-CM codes indicate laterality, specifying whether the condition occurs on the left, right or is bilateral. If no bilateral code is provided and the condition is bilateral, assign separate codes for both the left and right side. If the side is not identified in the medical record, assign the code for the unspecified side. When a patient has a bilateral condition and each side is treated during separate encounters, assign the "bilateral" code (as the condition still exists on both sides), including for the encounter to treat the first side. For the second encounter for treatment after one side has previously been treated and the condition no longer exists on that side, assign the appropriate unilateral code for the side where the condition still exists (e.g., cataract surgery performed on each eye in separate encounters). The bilateral code would not be assigned for the subsequent encounter, as the patient no longer has the condition in the previously-treated site. If the treatment on the first side did not completely resolve the condition, then the bilateral code would still be appropriate. When laterality is not documented by the patient’s provider, code assignment for the affected side may be based on medical record documentation from other clinicians. If there is conflicting medical record documentation regarding the affected side, the patient’s provider should be queried for clarification. […]
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2026
Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice:
payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope.
All data sources