Excludes1 pair
L08.0 vs L88
L08.0 and L88 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 L08.0
pyoderma gangrenosum (L88)
L08.0
Pyoderma
Billable
- Chapter 12
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
- Section
- L00-L08
Use when the record says
- Dermatitis gangrenosa
- Purulent dermatitis
- Septic dermatitis
- Suppurative dermatitis
Indexed under
- Ecthyma
- Pustular rash
- Pyoderma, pyodermia
- Pyodermatitis
- Dermatitis › gangrenosa, gangrenous infantum
L88
Pyoderma gangrenosum
Billable
- Chapter 12
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
- Section
- L80-L99
Use when the record says
- Phagedenic pyoderma
Indexed under
- Phagedena › geometric
- Pyoderma, pyodermia › gangrenosum
- Pyoderma, pyodermia › phagedenic
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