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M65.051 vs M65.052

M65.051 (Abscess of tendon sheath, right thigh) compared with M65.052 (Abscess of tendon sheath, left thigh), from the official CMS tabular data. M65.051 and M65.052 code the same condition on opposite sides. MedCoder-derived

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

M65.051
Right
Abscess of tendon sheath, right thigh
M65.052
Left
Abscess of tendon sheath, left thigh

Same condition; these differ only in which side is documented.

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: ICD-10-CM tabular list (laterality variant derived from the code title)

Can these codes be reported together?

Same condition, opposite side. M65.051 and M65.052 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.

Side by side

M65.051Abscess of tendon sheath, right thighM65.052Abscess of tendon sheath, left thigh
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionAbscess of tendon sheath, right thigh is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M65.051).Abscess of tendon sheath, left thigh is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M65.052).
Use additional code
code (B95-B96) to identify bacterial agent.
code (B95-B96) to identify bacterial agent.

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