H31.10 ICD-10-CM Code: Unspecified choroidal degeneration

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for H31.10 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Notes without a marker are published on H31.10 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Coder workflow for H31.10

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

Before you code H31.10

1. H31.10 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

   ReviewH31.101, H31.102, H31.103, H31.109

   See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

2. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, H31.10 may be the appropriate code. Check the record for detail that supports a more specific sibling. An unspecified code is for records that do not provide the detail a more specific code needs; a query, not an assumption, is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

   ReviewH31.11, H31.12

   See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

Choose the right path

1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath H31.10?
   Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
   No → H31.10 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

   ReviewH31.101, H31.102, H31.103, H31.109

2. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
   Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
   No → Continue — H31.10 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

   ReviewH31.11, H31.12

Consider H31.10. 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).

Any detail beyond this code’s title

What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

• Excludes2 — not part of H31.10(1 note)

  Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in H31.10. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

  CompareH35.33

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

Coding decision scenarios

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

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 H31.10 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of H31.10 — 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.

• H35.33— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

  Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

  A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

  What moves you there: Documentation of angioid streaks of macula adds H35.33; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: H31.10 vs H35.33 →

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.

Verify Before Coding

• Not billable as written — a more specific code is required: H31.101, H31.102, H31.103, H31.109.

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 structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name H31.10 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes1 note: H35.5 — Hereditary retinal dystrophy (via H31.1.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Use Additional Code instruction: H44.2A — Degenerative myopia with choroidal neovascularization (via H31.-).

These codes instruct coders to additionally report this code when it applies.

Related Codes

Same Index main term, other category

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

H18.43 — Other calcerous corneal degeneration (cornea, calcerous), H18.45 — Nodular corneal degeneration (cornea, nodular), H18.46 — Peripheral corneal degeneration (cornea, peripheral), H18.49 — Other corneal degeneration (cornea, hyaline), H21.21 — Degeneration of chamber angle (chamber angle), H21.22 — Degeneration of ciliary body (ciliary body), H21.23 — Degeneration of iris (pigmentary) (iris), H21.24 — Degeneration of pupillary margin (pupillary margin), H21.26 — Iris atrophy (essential) (progressive) (iris), H21.29 — Other iris atrophy (iris, specified NEC), H35.30 — Unspecified macular degeneration (macula, macular), H35.31 — Nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (macula, macular, nonexudative), H35.32 — Exudative age-related macular degeneration (Kuhnt-Junius), H35.33 — Angioid streaks of macula (macula, macular, angioid streaks), H35.34 — Macular cyst, hole, or pseudohole (macula, macular, hole), H35.35 — Cystoid macular degeneration (macula, macular, cystoid), H35.36 — Drusen (degenerative) of macula (macula, macular, drusen), H35.37 — Puckering of macula (macula, macular, puckering), H35.38 — Toxic maculopathy (macula, macular, toxic), H35.40 — Unspecified peripheral retinal degeneration (retina, peripheral), +243 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of H31.10 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 H31.10 with these 2 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• H00-H59 — Chapter 7: Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59) (H00-H59)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H30-H36 — Disorders of choroid and retina[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

• H35.5 — Hereditary retinal dystrophy[Excludes1](via H31.1.-): “dystrophies primarily involving Bruch's membrane (H31.1-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

• H44.2A — Degenerative myopia with choroidal neovascularization[Use Additional Code](via H31.-): “code for any associated choroid disorders (H31.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (40)

• H31 — Other disorders of choroid[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.001 — Unspecified chorioretinal scars, right eye[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.002 — Unspecified chorioretinal scars, left eye[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.003 — Unspecified chorioretinal scars, bilateral[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.009 — Unspecified chorioretinal scars, unspecified eye[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.01 — Macula scars of posterior pole (postinflammatory) (post-traumatic)[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.011 — Macula scars of posterior pole (postinflammatory) (post-traumatic), right eye[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• H31.012 — Macula scars of posterior pole (postinflammatory) (post-traumatic), left eye[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• and 32 more

Change history

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

Common coding questions

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 FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Claim edits Official source data

CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) 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 structured 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 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.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to H31.10 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• H31.091 — Other chorioretinal scars, right eye
• H31.092 — Other chorioretinal scars, left eye
• H31.093 — Other chorioretinal scars, bilateral
• H31.099 — Other chorioretinal scars, unspecified eye
• H31.1 — Choroidal degeneration
• H31.101 — Choroidal degeneration, unspecified, right eye
• H31.102 — Choroidal degeneration, unspecified, left eye
• H31.103 — Choroidal degeneration, unspecified, bilateral
• H31.109 — Choroidal degeneration, unspecified, unspecified eye
• H31.11 — Age-related choroidal atrophy

View all codes in the H31 family