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L03.319 ICD-10-CM Code: Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified

Compare with another code for L03.319Check 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
28 Excludes2 · 1 use-additional code

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, and is marked with where it comes from.

Use additional codefrom L00-L08Report with this code when documented
  • Use additional code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent.
Excludes2Not included here; may be reported together
  • cellulitis of anal and rectal regions (K61.-) (from L03.31)
  • cellulitis of breast NOS (N61.0) (from L03.31)
  • cellulitis of female external genital organs (N76.4) (from L03)
  • cellulitis of male external genital organs (N48.2, N49.-) (from L03)

+24 more in Instructions

Where it sits Source: CMS/NCHS

Under:Chapter 12: Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous TissueL00-L08 Infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissueL03 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitisL03.3 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of trunkL03.31 Cellulitis of trunk

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 573 — SKIN GRAFT FOR SKIN ULCER OR CELLULITIS WITH MCC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 574 — SKIN GRAFT FOR SKIN ULCER OR CELLULITIS WITH CC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 575 — SKIN GRAFT FOR SKIN ULCER OR CELLULITIS WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 602 — CELLULITIS WITH MCC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 603 — CELLULITIS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 791 — PREMATURITY WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)
  • MS-DRG 793 — FULL TERM NEONATE WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)

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 L03.319 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 L03.319 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

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.

  • Use additional code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent.

Source: inherited from L00-L08

Coder workflow for L03.319

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

Before you code L03.319

  1. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, L03.319 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).

    ReviewL03.311, L03.312, L03.313, L03.314, L03.315, L03.316, L03.317, L03.31A

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

Choose the right path

  1. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
    Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
    No → Continue — L03.319 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

    ReviewL03.311, L03.312, L03.313, L03.314, L03.315, L03.316, L03.317, L03.31A

Consider L03.319. Then work the Use Additional Code note, and 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).
The conditions the Use Additional Code note names
Reported with this code when documented; a conditional instruction (“if applicable”, “if known”) applies only when the record supports it.
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of L03.319(28 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in L03.319. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareK61, N61.0, N76.4, N48.2, N49, P38

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

  • Use Additional Code — after identifying L03.319(1 note)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the documentation supports the additional code(s) the note names, and report them with L03.319 when it does. Where the instruction is conditional (“if applicable”, “if known”), it applies only when the record documents the condition.

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

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

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific sibling code supportable?

Path: Review the specific siblings in this subcategory and what each requires the record to state.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

ReviewL03.311, L03.312, L03.313, L03.314, L03.315, L03.316, L03.317, L03.31A

Documentation: A condition the Use Additional Code note names is documented.

Coding question: Is a second code reported with L03.319?

Path: Review the Use Additional Code note and the code it names.

Reason: The additional code is reported when the record documents the condition; a conditional instruction applies only when its condition is met (Guidelines I.A.13).

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 L03.319 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of L03.319 — 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.

  • K61— 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 cellulitis of anal and rectal regions adds K61; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs K61 →

  • N61.0— 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 cellulitis of breast NOS adds N61.0; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs N61.0 →

  • N76.4— 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 cellulitis of female external genital organs adds N76.4; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs N76.4 →

  • N48.2— 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 cellulitis of male external genital organs adds N48.2; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs N48.2 →

  • N49— 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 cellulitis of male external genital organs adds N49; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs N49 →

  • P38— 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 omphalitis of newborn adds P38; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: L03.319 vs P38 →

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

Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (L03.319).

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

  • CC as a secondary diagnosis (FY2027). Can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier.

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 L03.319 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: I89.1 — Lymphangitis (via L03.-).

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

Referenced by 4 Excludes2 notes: L89 — Pressure ulcer (via L03.-), L97 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified (via L03.-), L98.4 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of skin, not elsewhere classified (via L03.-), L98.A — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of upper limb, not elsewhere classified (via L03.-).

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

Referenced by 1 Use Additional Code instruction: T65.84 — Toxic effect of xylazine (via L03.-).

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2027)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2027 MS-DRG: CC — Complication or Comorbidity. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, this code raises the stay's MS-DRG severity tier — except when the principal diagnosis is one of 67 clinically related codes on its CMS exclusion list.

Named in the grouper logic of 7 MS-DRGs: DRG 573 (MDC 09), DRG 574 (MDC 09), DRG 575 (MDC 09), DRG 602 (MDC 09), DRG 603 (MDC 09), DRG 791 (MDC 15), DRG 793 (MDC 15).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):SKN001 — Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections (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 process (MS-DRG)

Acts as CC — raises the severity of other admissions. CMS groups these diagnoses into one MS-DRG principal-diagnosis exclusion process — a CC/MCC on this list never raises severity when the principal diagnosis is also on it.

L02.219 — Cutaneous abscess of trunk, unspecified, L02.811 — Cutaneous abscess of head [any part, except face], L02.818 — Cutaneous abscess of other sites, L02.91 — Cutaneous abscess, unspecified, L03.311 — Cellulitis of abdominal wall, L03.312 — Cellulitis of back [any part except buttock and flank], L03.313 — Cellulitis of chest wall, L03.314 — Cellulitis of groin, L03.315 — Cellulitis of perineum, L03.316 — Cellulitis of umbilicus, L03.31A — Cellulitis of flank, L03.321 — Acute lymphangitis of abdominal wall, L03.322 — Acute lymphangitis of back [any part except buttock and flank], L03.323 — Acute lymphangitis of chest wall, L03.324 — Acute lymphangitis of groin, L03.325 — Acute lymphangitis of perineum, L03.326 — Acute lymphangitis of umbilicus, L03.329 — Acute lymphangitis of trunk, unspecified, L03.32A — Acute lymphangitis of flank, L03.811 — Cellulitis of head [any part, except face], +46 more

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections).

L03.213 — Periorbital cellulitis, L03.221 — Cellulitis of neck, L03.222 — Acute lymphangitis of neck, L03.311 — Cellulitis of abdominal wall, L03.312 — Cellulitis of back [any part except buttock and flank], L03.313 — Cellulitis of chest wall, L03.314 — Cellulitis of groin, L03.315 — Cellulitis of perineum, L03.316 — Cellulitis of umbilicus, L03.317 — Cellulitis of buttock, L03.31A — Cellulitis of flank, L03.321 — Acute lymphangitis of abdominal wall, L03.322 — Acute lymphangitis of back [any part except buttock and flank], L03.323 — Acute lymphangitis of chest wall, L03.324 — Acute lymphangitis of groin, L03.325 — Acute lymphangitis of perineum, L03.326 — Acute lymphangitis of umbilicus, L03.327 — Acute lymphangitis of buttock, L03.329 — Acute lymphangitis of trunk, unspecified, L03.32A — Acute lymphangitis of flank, +150 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

J38.3 — Other diseases of vocal cords (vocal cord), J38.7 — Other diseases of larynx (larynx), J39.1 — Other abscess of pharynx (pharynx), K11.3 — Abscess of salivary gland (submaxillary, gland), K12.2 — Cellulitis and abscess of mouth (mouth), K13.0 — Diseases of lips (lip), K61.0 — Anal abscess (anus), K61.1 — Rectal abscess (rectum), K65.0 — Generalized (acute) peritonitis (pelvis, pelvic, male), K68.9 — Other disorders of retroperitoneum (retroperitoneal), L98.3 — Eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells] (eosinophilic), N34.0 — Urethral abscess (periurethral), N48.22 — Cellulitis of corpus cavernosum and penis (penis), N49.0 — Inflammatory disorders of seminal vesicle (seminal vesicle), N49.2 — Inflammatory disorders of scrotum (scrotum), N49.8 — Inflammatory disorders of other specified male genital organs (genital organ NEC, male, specified NEC), N49.9 — Inflammatory disorder of unspecified male genital organ (genital organ NEC, male), N61.0 — Mastitis without abscess (nipple), N73.0 — Acute parametritis and pelvic cellulitis (periuterine, acute), N73.2 — Unspecified parametritis and pelvic cellulitis (periuterine), +13 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.

HIV Screening Test

Contextual Map

Every relationship of L03.319 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 L03.319 with these 6 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

  • I89.1 — Lymphangitis[Excludes1](via L03.-): “acute lymphangitis (L03.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

  • T65.84 — Toxic effect of xylazine[Use Additional Code](via L03.-): “cellulitis and acute lymphangitis (L03.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 09 — Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast — 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. 7,378 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027
  • MDC 15 — Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period[MDC crossing]: “Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period — 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.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Index entries

  • Cellulitis (diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative), trunk[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (40)

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 (1)

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.

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. "L03.319 — Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/l03.319-cellulitis-of-trunk-unspecified

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified

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 L03.319 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the L03 family