Skip to main content

L98.3 ICD-10-CM Code: Eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells]

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

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 v43, 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.

Code Overview

Eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells] is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (L98.3).

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

Indexed Clinical Terms (2)

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.

Verify Before Coding

  • CC as a secondary diagnosis (FY2026). 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 structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name L98.3 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 Excludes2 note: L03 — Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis.

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

Referenced by 5 Use Additional Code instructions: E08.622 — Diabetes mellitus due to underlying condition with other skin ulcer (via L98.-), E09.622 — Drug or chemical induced diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer (via L98.-), E10.622 — Type 1 diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer (via L98.-), E11.622 — Type 2 diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer (via L98.-), E13.622 — Other specified diabetes mellitus with other skin ulcer (via L98.-).

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 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 43 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):SKN002 — Other specified inflammatory condition of skin (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.

L03.818 — Cellulitis of other sites, L03.891 — Acute lymphangitis of head [any part, except face], L03.898 — Acute lymphangitis of other sites, L03.90 — Cellulitis, unspecified, L03.91 — Acute lymphangitis, unspecified, L08.0 — Pyoderma, L08.81 — Pyoderma vegetans, L08.82 — Omphalitis not of newborn, L08.89 — Other specified local infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, L08.9 — Local infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, unspecified, L44.8 — Other specified papulosquamous disorders, L44.9 — Papulosquamous disorder, unspecified, L73.2 — Hidradenitis suppurativa, L88 — Pyoderma gangrenosum, L92.8 — Other granulomatous disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, L94.2 — Calcinosis cutis, L94.4 — Gottron's papules, L98.0 — Pyogenic granuloma, L98.7 — Excessive and redundant skin and subcutaneous tissue, L98.8 — Other specified disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, +22 more

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Other specified inflammatory condition of skin).

L70.8 — Other acne, L70.9 — Acne, unspecified, L71.0 — Perioral dermatitis, L71.1 — Rhinophyma, L71.8 — Other rosacea, L71.9 — Rosacea, unspecified, L73.2 — Hidradenitis suppurativa, L73.8 — Other specified follicular disorders, L88 — Pyoderma gangrenosum, L92.0 — Granuloma annulare, L93.0 — Discoid lupus erythematosus, L93.1 — Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, L93.2 — Other local lupus erythematosus, L94.5 — Poikiloderma vasculare atrophicans, L95.0 — Livedoid vasculitis, L95.1 — Erythema elevatum diutinum, L95.8 — Other vasculitis limited to the skin, L95.9 — Vasculitis limited to the skin, unspecified, L98.1 — Factitial dermatitis, L98.2 — Febrile neutrophilic dermatosis [Sweet], +145 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.

L03.313 — Cellulitis of chest wall (pectoral), L03.314 — Cellulitis of groin (groin), L03.315 — Cellulitis of perineum (perineal, perineum), L03.316 — Cellulitis of umbilicus (navel), L03.317 — Cellulitis of buttock (buttock), L03.319 — Cellulitis of trunk, unspecified (trunk), L03.31A — Cellulitis of flank (flank), L03.811 — Cellulitis of head [any part, except face] (scalp), L03.818 — Cellulitis of other sites (specified site NEC), L03.90 — Cellulitis, unspecified, 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), N76.4 — Abscess of vulva (genital organ NEC, female), +30 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 L98.3 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 L98.3 with these 6 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

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. 7,376 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026
  • 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 · FY2026

Index entries

  • Cellulitis (diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative), eosinophilic (granulomatous)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Wells' disease[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

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

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
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 — v43 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

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. "L98.3 — Eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells]." ICD-10-CM FY2026. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/l98.3-eosinophilic-cellulitis-wells

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells]

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026), 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 L98.3 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the L98 family