J32.2 vs J33.1
J32.2 and J33.1 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 J32.2
Woakes' ethmoiditis (J33.1)
J32.2
Chronic ethmoidal sinusitis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- Ethmoidal sinusitis NOS
Indexed under
- Abscess › ethmoid (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Necrosis, necrotic › ethmoid (ischemic)
- Sinusitis › ethmoidal (accessory) (chronic) (hyperplastic) (nasal) (nonpurulent) (purulent)
- Necrosis, necrotic › bone › ethmoid (ischemic)
J33.1
Polypoid sinus degeneration
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- Woakes' syndrome or ethmoiditis
Indexed under
- Woakes' ethmoiditis or syndrome
- Ethmoiditis › Woakes' (chronic) (nonpurulent) (purulent)
- Syndrome › Woakes'
- Degeneration, degenerative › sinus › polypoid
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