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C83.32 ICD-10-CM Code: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes

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FY 2026 Apr update / Neoplasms (C00-D49) / Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)

C83.32

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes

A type of aggressive blood cancer (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) affecting lymph nodes inside the chest cavity.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of intrathoracic lymph nodes may present as mediastinal mass on chest imaging, sometimes causing superior vena cava syndrome, cough, or dyspnea.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 20

RAF 1.136

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 10

RAF 0.675

ACA/HHS

HCC 10

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

HCC 10

RAF 0.111

RXHCC

HCC 21

RAF 0.410

Code Book Path

Official
C83Non-follicular lymphoma
C83.3Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
C83.32Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Anaplastic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • CD30-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • Centroblastic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, subtype not specified
  • Immunoblastic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for C83.32 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
C83.30Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, unspecified site
C83.31Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck
C83.33Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intra-abdominal lymph nodes
C83.34Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, lymph nodes of axilla and upper limb
C83.35Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, lymph nodes of inguinal region and lower limb

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for C83.32 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official
  • mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma (C85.2-)
  • mature T/NK-cell lymphomas (C84.-)

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for C83.32 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for C83.32 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for C83.32 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology with immunohistochemistry confirming DLBCL (not primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma)
CT chest or PET/CT documenting intrathoracic lymph node involvement
Specific thoracic node groups identified (mediastinal, hilar, paratracheal)
Assessment for airway compression or vascular compromise

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology with immunohistochemistry confirming DLBCL (not primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma)
CT chest or PET/CT documenting intrathoracic lymph node involvement
Specific thoracic node groups identified (mediastinal, hilar, paratracheal)
Assessment for airway compression or vascular compromise

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Confusing DLBCL of mediastinal nodes with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (C85.2-) which is a distinct entity
Coding lung parenchymal involvement as intrathoracic nodal disease
Not distinguishing pleural effusion (secondary involvement) from lymph node disease

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C85.22 — Mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic; distinct entity from DLBCL with different immunophenotype
C83.12 — Mantle cell lymphoma, intrathoracic; different subtype
C83.52 — Lymphoblastic lymphoma, intrathoracic; different biology and treatment
C34.- — Malignant neoplasm of bronchus/lung; solid organ lung lesion, not lymph node disease

Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.

Is C83.32 an HCC code?

Yes. C83.32 (Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes) maps to Lung and Other Severe Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Lymphoma and Other Cancers under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 1.136. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: C83.32 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 20, Lung and Other Severe Cancers. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
C83.32
Description
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes
HCC (V28)
HCC 20 — Lung and Other Severe Cancers
RAF
1.136
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 20, Lung and Other Severe Cancers
1.136
V24HCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675
ESRDHCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.111
RxHCCHCC 21, Hodgkin Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.410

Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so weights are not directly comparable across models: CMS-HCC V28 and V24 use Community, Non-Dual, Aged; ESRD uses the dialysis continuing-enrollee model; RxHCC is the Part D continuing-enrollee, non-low-income, aged weight (a larger scale than CMS-HCC). ACA/HHS has no single weight — it varies by metal level. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member segment, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains in use during the transition and for historical data.

Work C83.32 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for C83.32

For C83.32to count as a valid HCC diagnosis in a given encounter, the provider's documentation must show MEAT: Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat. A diagnosis from a prior year does not carry forward automatically, it has to be re-documented and supported each calendar year.

  • MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
  • EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
  • AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
  • TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis

Only one of M/E/A/T is required to support the code, but the documentation must be specific enough to show that the provider actually addressed C83.32 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

C83.32 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for diffuse large b-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic lymph nodes. A type of aggressive blood cancer (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) affecting lymph nodes inside the chest cavity. C83.32 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue (c81-c96).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, C83.32 maps to Lung and Other Severe Cancers (HCC 20) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 1.136. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, C83.32 maps to Lymphoma and Other Cancers (HCC 10) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.675. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.

Intrathoracic lymph nodes include mediastinal and hilar nodes; ensure documentation specifies this location. Because C83.32 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for C83.32 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Intrathoracic lymph nodes include mediastinal and hilar nodes; ensure documentation specifies this location
  • Cross-reference imaging reports (CT chest) to confirm lymph node involvement in the thorax

Clinical Significance

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of intrathoracic lymph nodes may present as mediastinal mass on chest imaging, sometimes causing superior vena cava syndrome, cough, or dyspnea. Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma is a distinct subtype coded differently (C85.2-), so pathological distinction is critical.

Documentation Requirements

  • Pathology with immunohistochemistry confirming DLBCL (not primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma)
  • CT chest or PET/CT documenting intrathoracic lymph node involvement
  • Specific thoracic node groups identified (mediastinal, hilar, paratracheal)
  • Assessment for airway compression or vascular compromise
  • Differentiation from primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (CD23, CD30, MAL markers)

Commonly Confused Codes

  • C85.22: Mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma, intrathoracic; distinct entity from DLBCL with different immunophenotype
  • C83.12: Mantle cell lymphoma, intrathoracic; different subtype
  • C83.52: Lymphoblastic lymphoma, intrathoracic; different biology and treatment
  • C34.-: Malignant neoplasm of bronchus/lung; solid organ lung lesion, not lymph node disease

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Because C83.32 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score.

C83.32 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 20, Lung and Other Severe Cancers. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works.

Work C83.32 in HCC Buddy

Open C83.32 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 7 days to try everything, no card required.