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R85.61 ICD-10-CM Code: Abnormal cytologic smear of anus

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Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
2 inclusion terms · 11 Excludes1 · 5 Excludes2

Not billable · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

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; the Instructions section marks which is which.

Excludes1Never report with this code
  • abnormal cytological findings in specimens from other digestive organs and abdominal cavity (R85.69)
  • carcinoma in situ of anus (histologically confirmed) (D01.3)
  • anal intraepithelial neoplasia I AIN I
  • anal intraepithelial neoplasia II AIN II

+7 more in Instructions

Excludes2Not included here; may be reported together
  • anal high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test positive (R85.81)
  • anal low risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test positive (R85.82)
  • abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79)
  • abnormal findings on examination of urine, without diagnosis (R80-R82)

+1 more in Instructions

IncludesWhat this code covers
  • abnormal findings in peritoneal fluid
  • abnormal findings in saliva

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

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for R85.61 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 R85.61 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • abnormal findings in peritoneal fluid
  • abnormal findings in saliva

Source: inherited from R85

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Coder workflow for R85.61

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

Before you code R85.61

  1. R85.61 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).

    ReviewR85.610, R85.611, R85.612, R85.613, R85.614, R85.615, R85.616, R85.618, R85.619

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

  2. Check whether an established diagnosis that explains this sign or symptom is documented. If one is, review whether the documented diagnosis changes the coding pathway: a symptom that is integral to a confirmed diagnosis is not reported separately, while one not routinely associated with it may be. Signs and symptoms are reported when no definitive diagnosis is established (Guidelines I.B.4, I.B.5, I.B.6, I.C.18.b).

    Guide: Symptom code vs confirmed diagnosis →

  3. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with R85.61. 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 one of the more specific codes beneath R85.61?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → R85.61 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewR85.610, R85.611, R85.612, R85.613, R85.614, R85.615, R85.616, R85.618, R85.619

  2. Is an established diagnosis that explains this sign or symptom documented?
    Yes → Review whether the documented diagnosis changes the coding pathway: a symptom integral to it is not reported separately.
    No → Continue — the sign or symptom code stands when no definitive diagnosis is established.
  3. Does the documentation support a condition named in R85.61’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.

    ReviewR85.69, D01.3, K62.82, R88.0, R19.5, O28

Consider R85.61. 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 R85.61(11 notes)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with R85.61: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareR85.69, D01.3, K62.82, R88.0, R19.5, O28

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

  • Excludes2 — not part of R85.61(5 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in R85.61. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareR85.81, R85.82, R97

    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

Documentation: The sign or symptom is documented, and the same record establishes a diagnosis that routinely includes it.

Coding question: Is R85.61 reported in addition to the diagnosis?

Path: Review the documented diagnosis and whether the classification treats this finding as integral to it.

Reason: Signs and symptoms integral to a confirmed diagnosis are not coded separately; those not routinely associated with it may be reported when present (Guidelines I.B.5, I.B.6, I.C.18.b).

Documentation: Both the condition R85.61 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewR85.69, D01.3, K62.82, R88.0, R19.5, O28

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 R85.61 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of R85.61 — 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.

  • R85.69— 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 abnormal cytological findings in specimens from other digestive organs and abdominal cavity moves the case to R85.69; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs R85.69 →

  • D01.3— 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 carcinoma in situ of anus (histologically confirmed) moves the case to D01.3; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs D01.3 →

  • K62.82— 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 dysplasia (mild) (moderate) of anus (histologically confirmed) moves the case to K62.82; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs K62.82 →

  • R88.0— 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 cloudy peritoneal dialysis effluent moves the case to R88.0; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs R88.0 →

  • R19.5— 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 fecal abnormalities moves the case to R19.5; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs R19.5 →

  • O28— 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 abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother moves the case to O28; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: R85.61 vs O28 →

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

Abnormal cytologic smear of anus is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (R85.61). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

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

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 R85.61 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: K62.82 — Dysplasia of anus.

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

Contextual Map

Every relationship of R85.61 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 R85.61 with these 5 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Excludes1

Excludes2

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

  • K62.82 — Dysplasia of anus[Excludes1]: “abnormal results from anal cytologic examination without histologic confirmation (R85.61-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (24)

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.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can R85.61 be billed directly?

No. R85.61 (Abnormal cytologic smear of anus) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

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
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 20, 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. "R85.61 — Abnormal cytologic smear of anus." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/r85.61-abnormal-cytologic-smear-of-anus

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Abnormal cytologic smear of anus

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 R85.61 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the R85 family