J85 vs J86
J85 (Abscess of lung and mediastinum) compared with J86 (Pyothorax), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. J86 carries an Excludes1 note covering J85: “abscess of lung (J85.-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| J85Abscess of lung and mediastinum | J86Pyothorax | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Abscess of lung and mediastinum is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J85). | Pyothorax is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J86). |
| Use additional code | code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent. | code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent. |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources