General Surgery Coding Alert

Question: What is the correct diagnosis code for a malignant lesion in the “abdominal esophagus?”

Arkansas Subscriber

Answer: The correct diagnosis code is C15.5 (Malignant neoplasm of lower third of esophagus).

ICD-10-CM provides three codes for esophageal malignancy: C15.3 (Malignant neoplasm of upper third of esophagus), C15.4 (Malignant neoplasm of middle third of esophagus), and C15.5.

You might see sections of the esophagus referred to as cervical esophagus, thoracic esophagus, and abdominal esophagus. These terms are roughly equivalent to the ICD-10-CM terminology that divides the esophagus into thirds.