L04 vs R59
L04 (Acute lymphadenitis) compared with R59 (Enlarged lymph nodes), 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. L04 carries an Excludes1 note covering R59: “enlarged lymph nodes (R59.-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. R59 carries an Excludes1 note covering L04: “acute lymphadenitis (L04.-)”
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
| L04Acute lymphadenitis | R59Enlarged lymph nodes | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | L00-L99 — Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (L00-L99) | R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99) |
| Definition | Acute lymphadenitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (L04). | Enlarged lymph nodes is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (R59). |
| Includes | abscess (acute) of lymph nodes, except mesenteric acute lymphadenitis, except mesenteric | swollen glands |
| Use additional code | 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