N26.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Page kidney

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for N26.2 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 N26.2 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Coder workflow for N26.2

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

Before you code N26.2

1. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with N26.2. 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 N26.2’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.

   ReviewI12, N05.8, N27

Consider N26.2. 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).

Official instructions as workflow

• Excludes1 — check before selecting N26.2(4 notes)

  Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with N26.2: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

  CompareI12, N05.8, N27

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

• Excludes2 — not part of N26.2(1 note)

  Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in N26.2. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

  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.

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.

• Contraction, contracture, contracted (s), kidney (granular) (secondary), Page

Don’t confuse N26.2 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of N26.2 — 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.

• I12— 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 contracted kidney due to hypertension moves the case to I12; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs I12 →

• N05.8— 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 diffuse sclerosing glomerulonephritis moves the case to N05.8; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs N05.8 →

• N27— 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 small kidney of unknown cause moves the case to N27; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs N27 →

• N26.9— Specificity relationship (Review)

  Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

  Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

  What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Renal sclerosis, unspecified” takes N26.9; specificity in the record moves it back here.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs N26.9 →

• N20— 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 disorders of kidney and ureter with urolithiasis adds N20; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs N20 →

• N23— 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 disorders of kidney and ureter with urolithiasis adds N23; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: N26.2 vs N23 →

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

• 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 structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 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 2 MS-DRGs: DRG 304 (MDC 05), DRG 305 (MDC 05).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):GEN006 — Other specified and unspecified diseases of kidney and ureters (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 (Other specified and unspecified diseases of kidney and ureters).

N13.5 — Crossing vessel and stricture of ureter without hydronephrosis, N13.8 — Other obstructive and reflux uropathy, N13.9 — Obstructive and reflux uropathy, unspecified, N23 — Unspecified renal colic, N25.0 — Renal osteodystrophy, N25.1 — Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, N25.81 — Secondary hyperparathyroidism of renal origin, N25.89 — Other disorders resulting from impaired renal tubular function, N25.9 — Disorder resulting from impaired renal tubular function, unspecified, N26.1 — Atrophy of kidney (terminal), N27.0 — Small kidney, unilateral, N27.1 — Small kidney, bilateral, N27.9 — Small kidney, unspecified, N28.0 — Ischemia and infarction of kidney, N28.1 — Cyst of kidney, acquired, N28.81 — Hypertrophy of kidney, N28.82 — Megaloureter, N28.83 — Nephroptosis, N28.84 — Pyelitis cystica, N28.85 — Pyeloureteritis cystica, +16 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

M62.46 — Contracture of muscle, lower leg (tendon, lower leg), M62.47 — Contracture of muscle, ankle and foot (tendon, foot), M62.48 — Contracture of muscle, other site (tendon, neck), M62.49 — Contracture of muscle, multiple sites (tendon, multiple sites), M72.0 — Palmar fascial fibromatosis [Dupuytren] (Dupuytren's), M72.2 — Plantar fascial fibromatosis (plantar fascia), M72.8 — Other fibroblastic disorders (fascia), M95.5 — Acquired deformity of pelvis (pelvis), N13.5 — Crossing vessel and stricture of ureter without hydronephrosis (ureterovesical orifice), N13.6 — Pyonephrosis (ureterovesical orifice, with infection), N32.0 — Bladder-neck obstruction (urethra, orifice), N32.89 — Other specified disorders of bladder (vesical), N42.89 — Other specified disorders of prostate (prostate), N85.8 — Other specified noninflammatory disorders of uterus (uterus), N89.5 — Stricture and atresia of vagina (vagina), O33.1 — Maternal care for disproportion due to generally contracted pelvis (pelvis, with disproportion), O33.2 — Maternal care for disproportion due to inlet contraction of pelvis (pelvis, with disproportion, inlet), O33.3 — Maternal care for disproportion due to outlet contraction of pelvis (pelvis, with disproportion, outlet), O62.0 — Primary inadequate contractions (uterus, inadequate, primary), O62.1 — Secondary uterine inertia (uterus, inadequate, secondary), +46 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.

Lipid Panel

Contextual Map

Every relationship of N26.2 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.

Hierarchy

• N00-N99 — Chapter 14: Diseases of the Genitourinary System (N00-N99) (N00-N99)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• N25-N29 — Other disorders of kidney and ureter[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

• GEN006 — Other specified and unspecified diseases of kidney and ureters[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)

MS-DRG Grouper

• DRG 304 — HYPERTENSION WITH MCC[MS-DRG]: “HYPERTENSION WITH MCC (MDC 05)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 305 — HYPERTENSION WITHOUT MCC[MS-DRG]: “HYPERTENSION WITHOUT MCC (MDC 05)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026

MDC crossing

• MDC 05 — Diseases and Disorders of the Circulatory System[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Circulatory System — 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. 17,209 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026

Index entries

• Contraction, contracture, contracted (s), kidney (granular) (secondary), Page[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes

• N26 — Unspecified contracted kidney[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• N26.1 — Atrophy of kidney (terminal)[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• N26.9 — Renal sclerosis, unspecified[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

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

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to N26.2 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• N26 — Unspecified contracted kidney
• N26.1 — Atrophy of kidney (terminal)
• N26.9 — Renal sclerosis, unspecified

View all codes in the N26 family