FY2027
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ICD-10 Code for Tonsillitis

Also indexed as (acute) (catarrhal) (croupous) (follicular) (gangrenous) (infective) (lacunar) (lingual) (malignant) (membranous) (parenchymatous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (purulent) (septic) (subacute) (suppurative) (toxic) (ulcerative) (vesicular) (viral)

The ICD-10-CM code for tonsillitis is J03.90 — Acute tonsillitis, unspecified. This is the code the Alphabetic Index gives for tonsillitis with no further qualifier, valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

BillableUnspecified

J03.90 is billable but unspecified. If the documentation names a type, site or cause, one of the more specific codes below is likely expected.

Which tonsillitis code should you use?

The Alphabetic Index lists 11 codes under Tonsillitis. Which one applies depends on the qualifier documented in the record — the type, site, cause, or associated condition. Find the qualifier below, then verify the code in the Tabular List before using it.

By type

chronicJ35.01Chronic tonsillitis
diphtheriticA36.0Pharyngeal diphtheria
hypertrophicJ35.01Chronic tonsillitis
recurrentJ03.91Acute recurrent tonsillitis, unspecified
specified organism NECJ03.80Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
staphylococcalJ03.80Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
streptococcalJ03.00Acute streptococcal tonsillitis, unspecified
tuberculousA15.8Other respiratory tuberculosis
Vincent'sA69.1Other Vincent's infections

Tonsillitis chronic

with adenoiditisJ35.03Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis

Tonsillitis hypertrophic

with adenoiditisJ35.03Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis

Tonsillitis specified organism NEC

recurrentJ03.81Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms

Tonsillitis staphylococcal

recurrentJ03.81Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms

Tonsillitis streptococcal

recurrentJ03.01Acute recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis

Index terms and codes are reproduced from the official ICD-10-CM FY2027 release. The Alphabetic Index is a finding aid — a code must always be verified in the Tabular List before it is reported. Data sources