A18.5 is the authoritative medical code for Tuberculosis of eye. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for tuberculosis of eye (ICD-10-CM A18.5), ensuring healthcare documentation aligns with 2026 federal coding standards.
Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.
Official Registry Overview & Definition
Tuberculosis of eye is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code A18.5. A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission. Includes: infections due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis. Excludes1 (not coded here): congenital tuberculosis P37.0; nonspecific reaction to test for tuberculosis without active tuberculosis R76.1-; pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosis, any type in A15 J65; positive PPD R76.11; positive tuberculin skin test without active tuberculosis R76.11; sequelae of tuberculosis B90.-; silicotuberculosis J65. Excludes2 (not included here): lupus vulgaris of eyelid A18.4. Use additional code: code, if applicable, for associated cachexia E88.A.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for A18.5 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Includes
Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.
- infections due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
- congenital tuberculosis P37.0
- nonspecific reaction to test for tuberculosis without active tuberculosis R76.1-
- pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosis, any type in A15 J65
- positive PPD R76.11
- positive tuberculin skin test without active tuberculosis R76.11
- sequelae of tuberculosis B90.-
- silicotuberculosis J65
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
- lupus vulgaris of eyelid A18.4
Use Additional Code
Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.
- code, if applicable, for associated cachexia E88.A
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
Can A18.5 be billed directly?
No. A18.5 (Tuberculosis of eye) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.
What can't be coded together with A18.5?
Per Excludes1 instructions, A18.5 must not be reported with: congenital tuberculosis (P37.0); nonspecific reaction to test for tuberculosis without active tuberculosis (R76.1-); pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosis, any type in A15 (J65); positive PPD (R76.11).
Can A18.5 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, A18.5 and the following may both be reported when both are present: lupus vulgaris of eyelid (A18.4).
Is an additional code needed with A18.5?
Use additional code(s) to specify: code, if applicable, for associated cachexia (E88.A).
Codes in This Family (6)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as A18.5, with their registry titles.
- A18.50 — Tuberculosis of eye, unspecified
- A18.51 — Tuberculous episcleritis
- A18.52 — Tuberculous keratitis
- A18.53 — Tuberculous chorioretinitis
- A18.54 — Tuberculous iridocyclitis
- A18.59 — Other tuberculosis of eye
Related Codes & Numerical Sequence (Crawl Map)
Search engines and indexers are advised to traverse adjacent medical codes in this sub-chapter range to find correlated diagnoses or therapeutic procedures: