D14.1 vs J38.1
D14.1 and J38.1 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on D14.1
polyp (nonadenomatous) of vocal cord or larynx (J38.1)
D14.1
Benign neoplasm of larynx
Billable
- Chapter 2
- Neoplasms
- Section
- D10-D36
Use when the record says
- Adenomatous polyp of larynx
- Benign neoplasm of epiglottis (suprahyoid portion)
Indexed under
- Polyp, polypus › larynx › adenomatous
J38.1
Polyp of vocal cord and larynx
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Indexed under
- Polyp, polypus › larynx
- Polyp, polypus › vocal cord
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