N34.0 — Urethral abscess
Is N34.0 billable?
Yes — N34.0 is billable for FY2027. N34.0 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. N34.0 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
N34.0 at a glance
| Code | N34.0 |
|---|---|
| Description | Urethral abscess |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does N34.0 group to?
N34.0 sits in MDC 11 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 689Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCCmedical
- 690Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, N34.0 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG. It also carries Hospital-Acquired Condition category 06.
How is N34.0 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to N34.0. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Abscess › bulbourethral gland (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › Cowper's gland (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › lacunar (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › Littre's gland (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › periurethral (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › Skene's duct or gland (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › suburethral (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › urethral (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › urinary (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Carbuncle › urethra
- Cellulitis › periurethral (diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative)
- Pyocele › urethra
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with N34.0 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- urethral caruncle (N36.2)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to N34.0.
- Abscess (of) Cowper's gland
- Abscess (of) Littré's gland
- Abscess (of) urethral (gland)
- Periurethral abscess
Use additional code — inherited from N34
Report an additional code alongside N34.0 to fully describe the condition. N34.0 is sequenced first.
- code (B95-B97), to identify infectious agent.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 14
The conditions below are not part of N34.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N34.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from N30-N39
The conditions below are not part of N34.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N34.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from N34
The conditions below are not part of N34.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N34.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has N34.0 existed?
N34.0 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with N34.0?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with N34.0 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.