K26 is the authoritative medical code for Duodenal ulcer. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for duodenal ulcer (ICD-10-CM K26), 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
Duodenal ulcer is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code K26. A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission. Includes: erosion acute of duodenum; duodenum ulcer peptic; postpyloric ulcer peptic. Excludes1 (not coded here): peptic ulcer NOS K27.-. Excludes2 (not included here): hiatus hernia K44.-. Use additional code: code to identify:; alcohol abuse and dependence F10.-.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for K26 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Includes
Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.
- erosion acute of duodenum
- duodenum ulcer peptic
- postpyloric ulcer peptic
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
Use Additional Code
Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.
- code to identify:
- alcohol abuse and dependence F10.-
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
Can K26 be billed directly?
No. K26 (Duodenal ulcer) 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 K26?
Per Excludes1 instructions, K26 must not be reported with: peptic ulcer NOS (K27.-).
Can K26 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, K26 and the following may both be reported when both are present: hiatus hernia (K44.-).
Is an additional code needed with K26?
Use additional code(s) to specify: code to identify:; alcohol abuse and dependence (F10.-).
Codes in This Family (9)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as K26, with their registry titles.
- K26.0 — Acute duodenal ulcer with hemorrhage
- K26.1 — Acute duodenal ulcer with perforation
- K26.2 — Acute duodenal ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation
- K26.3 — Acute duodenal ulcer without hemorrhage or perforation
- K26.4 — Chronic or unspecified duodenal ulcer with hemorrhage
- K26.5 — Chronic or unspecified duodenal ulcer with perforation
- K26.6 — Chronic or unspecified duodenal ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation
- K26.7 — Chronic duodenal ulcer without hemorrhage or perforation
- K26.9 — Duodenal ulcer, unspecified as acute or chronic, without hemorrhage or perforation
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:
ICD Code K23
Disorders of esophagus in diseases classified elsewhere