J85.3 vs J98.5
J85.3 (Abscess of mediastinum) compared with J98.5 (Diseases of mediastinum, not elsewhere classified), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. J98.5 carries an Excludes2 note covering J85.3: “abscess of mediastinum (J85.3)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| J85.3Abscess of mediastinum | J98.5Diseases of mediastinum, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | 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 mediastinum is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J85.3). | Diseases of mediastinum, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J98.5). |
| Use additional code | code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent. | code to identify: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22) exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources