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H71.23

Billable

Cholesteatoma of mastoid, bilateral

This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

A cholesteatoma is an abnormal growth of skin cells in the middle ear that can damage the tiny bones needed for hearing. This code indicates the patient has this condition in both ears.

Coding Tips

  • •Verify documentation specifies bilateral involvement before coding H71.23; unilateral cases require different codes (H71.20 or H71.21)
  • •Cholesteatoma often requires surgical intervention, so look for associated procedure codes and ensure the laterality matches across all related codes

Code Hierarchy

└H71Cholesteatoma of middle ear└H71.2Cholesteatoma of mastoid└H71.23Cholesteatoma of mastoid, bilateral
└H71.23Cholesteatoma of mastoid, bilateral

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