FY2027
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Excludes1 pair

A18.7 vs E35

A18.7 and E35 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 E35
tuberculosis of adrenal gland, except calcification (A18.7)
A18.7

Tuberculosis of adrenal glands

Billable
Chapter 1
Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
Section
A15-A19
Use when the record says
  • Tuberculous Addison's disease
Indexed under
  • Adrenalism, tuberculous
  • Hypoadrenalism, hypoadrenia › tuberculous
  • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › Addison's disease
  • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › adrenal (capsule) (gland)
  • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous › bronze disease
E35

Disorders of endocrine glands in diseases classified elsewhere

Billable
Chapter 4
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases
Section
E20-E35
Indexed under
  • Dubois' disease (thymus gland)
  • Disease, diseased › Dubois (thymus)
  • Calcification › adrenal › tuberculous
  • Echinococcus › thyroid NEC › multilocularis

These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.

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