K23

Billable code

Disorders of esophagus in diseases classified elsewhere

The ICD-10 code for disorders of esophagus in diseases classified elsewhere is K23.

Clinical notes

Code first

This code represents a manifestation of an underlying disease. Coding convention requires the underlying (etiology) code to be sequenced first, with this code listed second.

underlying disease, such as:
congenital syphilis (A50.5)

Excludes1 (not coded here)

An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).

late syphilis (A52.79)
megaesophagus due to Chagas' disease (B57.31)
tuberculosis (A18.83)

Documentation support

General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.

•Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
•This code represents a manifestation. Documentation should identify the underlying condition, which must be coded first.
•As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.

Related codes in this category

ICD-9-CM equivalent

Informational only — GEM mappings are approximate, not guaranteed one-to-one equivalents. Verify before use in billing.

53089Approximate match

View full ICD-10 → ICD-9 crosswalk →

Associated MS-DRGs

K23 can serve as the principal diagnosis for these Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Groups.

Informational only — actual DRG assignment also depends on procedures, complications/comorbidities (CC/MCC), discharge status, and payer-specific rules not reflected here.