Skip to main content

D21.4 ICD-10-CM Code: Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of abdomen

Compare with another codeCheck this code on a claim

Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
12 inclusion terms · 13 Excludes1

Billable · FY2027A valid, specific ICD-10-CM code, reportable for dates of service in FY2027.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too; the Instructions section marks which is which.

Excludes1Never report with this code
  • benign neoplasm of articular cartilage (D16.-)
  • benign neoplasm of cartilage of larynx (D14.1)
  • benign neoplasm of cartilage of nose (D14.0)
  • benign neoplasm of connective tissue of breast (D24.-)

+9 more in Instructions

IncludesWhat this code covers
  • benign neoplasm of blood vessel
  • benign neoplasm of bursa
  • benign neoplasm of cartilage
  • benign neoplasm of fascia

+8 more in Instructions

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Inpatient Payment Groups (MS-DRG)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

MS-DRGs this diagnosis helps define, as principal or secondary, per the CMS ICD-10-CM/PCS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 564 — OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE DIAGNOSES WITH MCC (MDC 08)
  • MS-DRG 565 — OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE DIAGNOSES WITH CC (MDC 08)
  • MS-DRG 566 — OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE DIAGNOSES WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 08)

A diagnosis appearing in a group's logic does not by itself determine the DRG assigned to a stay; the grouper uses the full claim.

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for D21.4 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on D21.4 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • benign neoplasm of blood vessel
  • benign neoplasm of bursa
  • benign neoplasm of cartilage
  • benign neoplasm of fascia
  • benign neoplasm of fat
  • benign neoplasm of ligament, except uterine
  • benign neoplasm of lymphatic channel
  • benign neoplasm of muscle
  • benign neoplasm of synovia
  • benign neoplasm of tendon (sheath)
  • benign stromal tumors

Source: inherited from D21

Inclusion Terms

Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.

  • Benign stromal tumors of abdomen

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Source: inherited from D21

Coder workflow for D21.4

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code D21.4

  1. Confirm the documented site and behavior (this code’s block classifies benign neoplasms), whether the site is primary or secondary, and whether the malignancy is current or a personal history: a previously excised malignancy with no further treatment and no evidence of disease is history, not current disease. Verify the site against the Table of Neoplasms. Neoplasm chapter guidelines (Guidelines I.C.2.a, I.C.2.d, I.C.2.m).

    See the Table of Neoplasms entries · Guide: Active cancer vs history of cancer →

  2. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with D21.4. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

    See the official tabular notes

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support a condition named in D21.4’s Excludes1 note?
    Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
    No → Continue.

    ReviewD16, D14.1, D14.0, D24, D36.1, D20.1

Consider D21.4. Then confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
Anatomical site
At the most specific level the record states; a site the classification separates cannot be assumed from a procedure or a measurement.
Behavior and current-versus-history status
Malignant, in situ, benign or uncertain; primary or secondary; current disease or personal history (Guidelines I.C.2.m).

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes1 — check before selecting D21.4(13 notes)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with D21.4: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareD16, D14.1, D14.0, D24, D36.1, D20.1

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.a

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: Both the condition D21.4 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewD16, D14.1, D14.0, D24, D36.1, D20.1

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse D21.4 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of D21.4 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • D16— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of articular cartilage moves the case to D16; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D16 →

  • D14.1— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of cartilage of larynx moves the case to D14.1; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D14.1 →

  • D14.0— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of cartilage of nose moves the case to D14.0; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D14.0 →

  • D24— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of connective tissue of breast moves the case to D24; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D24 →

  • D36.1— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system moves the case to D36.1; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D36.1 →

  • D20.1— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of benign neoplasm of peritoneum moves the case to D20.1; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: D21.4 vs D20.1 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of abdomen is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (D21.4).

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Verify Before Coding

  • No Medicare Code Editor or MS-DRG Definitions Manual restrictions apply to this code.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name D21.4 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes and the CMS Table of Neoplasms. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 2 Excludes1 notes: D13 — Benign neoplasm of other and ill-defined parts of digestive system, D16 — Benign neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage (via D21.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 1 Code First instruction: M63 — Disorders of muscle in diseases classified elsewhere (via D21.-).

Each of these codes carries a Code First note naming this condition — when that code is reported, THIS code is sequenced first, ahead of it.

Referenced by 5 Same-site neoplasm codes: C49.4 — Malignant neoplasm of connective and soft tissue of abdomenCompare D21.4 vs C49.4 →, C79.8 — Secondary malignant neoplasm of other specified sitesCompare D21.4 vs C79.8 →, C79.89 — Secondary malignant neoplasm of other specified sitesCompare D21.4 vs C79.89 →, D48.1 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of connective and other soft tissueCompare D21.4 vs D48.1 →, D49.2 — Neoplasm of unspecified behavior of bone, soft tissue, and skinCompare D21.4 vs D49.2 →.

These codes represent related neoplasm behaviors affecting the same anatomic site.

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2027)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2027 MS-DRG: not on the CMS CC/MCC list — as a secondary diagnosis this code does not change MS-DRG severity for that release.

Named in the grouper logic of 3 MS-DRGs: DRG 564 (MDC 08), DRG 565 (MDC 08), DRG 566 (MDC 08).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):NEO073 — Benign neoplasms (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Benign neoplasms).

D20.0 — Benign neoplasm of soft tissue of retroperitoneum, D20.1 — Benign neoplasm of soft tissue of peritoneum, D21.0 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of head, face and neck, D21.10 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of unspecified upper limb, including shoulder, D21.11 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of right upper limb, including shoulder, D21.12 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of left upper limb, including shoulder, D21.20 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of unspecified lower limb, including hip, D21.21 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of right lower limb, including hip, D21.22 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of left lower limb, including hip, D21.3 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of thorax, D21.5 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of pelvis, D21.6 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of trunk, unspecified, D21.9 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue, unspecified, D22.0 — Melanocytic nevi of lip, D22.10 — Melanocytic nevi of unspecified eyelid, including canthus, D22.11 — Melanocytic nevi of right eyelid, including canthus, D22.111 — Melanocytic nevi of right upper eyelid, including canthus, D22.112 — Melanocytic nevi of right lower eyelid, including canthus, D22.12 — Melanocytic nevi of left eyelid, including canthus, D22.121 — Melanocytic nevi of left upper eyelid, including canthus, +252 more

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Tumor”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

C7B.04 — Secondary carcinoid tumors of peritoneum (carcinoid, mesentery metastasis), C7B.09 — Secondary carcinoid tumors of other sites (secondary, carcinoid, specified NEC), C7B.8 — Other secondary neuroendocrine tumors (neuroendocrine, secondary NEC), C80.1 — Malignant (primary) neoplasm, unspecified (malignant), D13.7 — Benign neoplasm of endocrine pancreas (beta-cell, pancreas), D18.00 — Hemangioma unspecified site (glomus), D18.01 — Hemangioma of skin and subcutaneous tissue (glomus, skin), D18.02 — Hemangioma of intracranial structures (glomus, intracranial), D18.03 — Hemangioma of intra-abdominal structures (glomus, intra-abdominal), D18.09 — Hemangioma of other sites (glomus, specified site NEC), D23.4 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of scalp and neck (turban), D24 — Benign neoplasm of breast (phyllodes, benign), D27 — Benign neoplasm of ovary (hilar cell), D27.9 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified ovary (Brenner), D29.20 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified testis (Sertoli cell, unspecified site, male), D34 — Benign neoplasm of thyroid gland (Hurthle cell), D35.0 — Benign neoplasm of adrenal gland (adrenal, cortical), D37.8 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of other specified digestive organs (G cell, unspecified site), D37.9 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of digestive organ, unspecified (papillary, cystic), D38.1 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of trachea, bronchus and lung (intravascular bronchial alveolar), +97 more

Lab tests where this diagnosis supports Medicare coverage (NCD)

Medicare's National Coverage Determination (NCD) program lists this diagnosis as medical justification for these lab tests.

Iron Panel

Contextual Map

Every relationship of D21.4 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run D21.4 with these 3 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Same site

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Code First instructions

Referenced by Same-site neoplasm codes

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 08 — Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 18,439 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Neoplasm sites (12)

  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, abdomen, abdominal, wall, connective tissue — Neoplasm, neoplastic, abdomen, abdominal, wall, connective tissue — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, abdomen, abdominal, wall, connective tissue (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, aorta (thoracic), abdominal — Neoplasm, neoplastic, aorta (thoracic), abdominal — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, aorta (thoracic), abdominal (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdomen — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdomen — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdomen (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdominal wall — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdominal wall — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdominal wall (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastric — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastric — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastric (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastrointestinal — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastrointestinal — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastrointestinal (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, hypochondrium — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, hypochondrium — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, hypochondrium (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, intestinal — Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, intestinal — Benign [Neoplasm table]: “Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, intestinal (Benign)”— CMS Table of Neoplasms · icd10cm-fy2027
  • and 4 more

Index entries

  • Tumor, stromal, gastric, benign[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Tumor, stromal, gastrointestinal, benign[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Tumor, stromal, intestine, benign[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Tumor, stromal, stomach, benign[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (14)

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Indexed Clinical Terms (4)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

Neoplasm Table Sites (12)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Anatomical sites from the official ICD-10-CM Table of Neoplasms that map to this code, with the matching behavior column.

  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, abdomen, abdominal, wall, connective tissue — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, aorta (thoracic), abdominal — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdomen — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, abdominal wall — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastric — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, gastrointestinal — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, hypochondrium — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, intestinal — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, psoas muscle — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, stomach — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, connective tissue NEC, umbilicus — Benign
  • Neoplasm, neoplastic, vena cava (abdominal) (inferior) — Benign

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Inpatient payment groups Official source data
CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v44 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder-derived relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder editorial explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "D21.4 — Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of abdomen." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/d21.4-benign-neoplasm-of-connective-and-other-soft-tissue-of-abdomen

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Benign neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue of abdomen

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to D21.4 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the D21 family