Q18.8 — Other specified congenital malformations of face and neck
Is Q18.8 billable?
Yes, but Q18.8 is an unspecified code. Q18.8 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, Q18.8 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting Q18.8 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
Q18.8 at a glance
| Code | Q18.8 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other specified congenital malformations of face and neck |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does Q18.8 group to?
Q18.8 sits in MDC 03 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 154Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCCmedical
- 155Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CCmedical
- 156Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCCmedical
How is Q18.8 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to Q18.8. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Absence › chin, congenital (of) (organ or part) (complete or partial)
- Absence › face, specified part NEC (of) (organ or part) (complete or partial)
- Absence › neck, part (of) (organ or part) (complete or partial)
- Agenesis › chin
- Agenesis › neck, part
- Anomaly, anomalous › eyebrow (congenital) (unspecified type)
- Cyst › medial, face and neck (colloid) (mucous) (simple) (retention)
- Deformity › eyebrow
- Fistula › medial, face and neck (cutaneous)
- Flattening › lip
- Hypoplasia, hypoplastic › face
- Sinus › medial, face and neck
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to Q18.8.
- Medial cyst of face and neck
- Medial fistula of face and neck
- Medial sinus of face and neck
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from Q18
The conditions below can never be reported together with Q18.8 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 17
The conditions below are not part of Q18.8, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, Q18.8 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- inborn errors of metabolism (E70-E88)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Q10-Q18
The conditions below are not part of Q18.8, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, Q18.8 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- cleft lip and cleft palate (Q35-Q37)
- congenital malformation of cervical spine (Q05.0, Q05.5, Q67.5, Q76.0-Q76.4)
- congenital malformation of larynx (Q31.-)
- congenital malformation of lip NEC (Q38.0)
- congenital malformation of nose (Q30.-)
- congenital malformation of parathyroid gland (Q89.2)
- congenital malformation of thyroid gland (Q89.2)
How long has Q18.8 existed?
Q18.8 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.