Excludes1 pair
D31- vs D33.3
D31 and D33.3 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 D31
benign neoplasm of optic nerve (D33.3)
D33.3
Benign neoplasm of cranial nerves
Billable
- Chapter 2
- Neoplasms
- Section
- D10-D36
Use when the record says
- Benign neoplasm of olfactory bulb
Indexed under
- Neurilemmoma › acoustic (nerve)
- Neuroma › acoustic (nerve)
- Neuroma › optic (nerve)
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