Excludes1 pair
H33.2- vs H35-
H33.2 and H35 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 H33.2
central serous chorioretinopathy (H35.71-)
H33.2
Serous retinal detachment
Not billable
- Chapter 7
- Diseases of the eye and adnexa
- Section
- H30-H36
Use when the record says
- Retinal detachment NOS
- Retinal detachment without retinal break
Indexed under
- Detachment › retina (without retinal break) (serous)
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