D33.3 vs H93.3
D33.3 and H93.3 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 H93.3
acoustic neuroma (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
- Neuroma › acoustic
- Neuroma › optic
H93.3
Disorders of acoustic nerve
Not billable
- Chapter 8
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
- Section
- H90-H94
Use when the record says
- Disorder of 8th cranial nerve
Indexed under
- Neuritis › acoustic (rheumatoid)
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