C43.21
BillableMalignant melanoma of right ear and external auricular canal
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 23 — Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers
0.251V24HCC 12 — Breast, Prostate, and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.150ESRDHCC 12 — Breast, Prostate, and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.000RxHCCHCC 22 — Cancer, Other Specified Sites
0.000What This Code Means
A type of skin cancer (melanoma) that starts on the right ear or in the right ear canal.
Coding Tips
- •Confirm right ear laterality is explicitly documented before assigning this code
- •This code includes both the external ear surface and the external auditory canal
Clinical Significance
Malignant melanoma of the right ear and external auricular canal. The ear is a high-risk site for melanoma due to chronic sun exposure. Melanomas of the ear have higher recurrence and nodal metastasis rates than melanomas at most other body sites. Wide excision often requires partial ear resection with reconstruction.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Right ear laterality explicitly documented
- ✓Specific anatomic subsite (helix, antihelix, lobule, tragus, concha, external canal)
- ✓Breslow depth (thickness in millimeters)
- ✓Ulceration status and mitotic rate
- ✓Sentinel lymph node biopsy of parotid and cervical basins
- ✓AJCC staging and treatment plan
Commonly Confused Codes
Code Hierarchy
└C43Malignant melanoma of skin└C43.2Malignant melanoma of ear and external auricular canal└C43.21Malignant melanoma of right ear and external auricular canal
└C43.21Malignant melanoma of right ear and external auricular canal