Excludes1 pair
A15.4 vs A15.7
A15.4 and A15.7 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported.
The official note, declared on A15.4
tuberculosis specified as primary (A15.7)
A15.4
Tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A15-A19
Use when the record says
- Tuberculosis of hilar lymph nodes
- Tuberculosis of mediastinal lymph nodes
- Tuberculosis of tracheobronchial lymph nodes
Indexed under
- Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › hilar lymph nodes
- Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › mediastinal lymph gland or node
- Adenopathy › tracheobronchial › tuberculous
- Adenopathy › tuberculous › tracheobronchial
- Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › bronchi, bronchial, bronchus › gland or node
A15.7
Primary respiratory tuberculosis
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A15-A19
Indexed under
- Epituberculosis (with atelectasis) (allergic)
- Ghon tubercle, primary infection
- Complex › primary, tuberculous
- Infection, infected, infective › Ghon tubercle, primary
- Tubercle › Ghon, primary infection
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027