ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code D44.6 - Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body (original) (raw)
ICD List 2025-2026 Edition
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- 2026 ICD-10-CM Code D44.6
Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body
ICD-10-CM Code:
D44.6
ICD-10 Code for:
Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:
D44.6 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
The following anatomical sites found in the Table of Neoplasms reference this diagnosis code given the correct histological behavior: Neoplasm, neoplastic carotid (artery) body .
- Code Information
- Approximate Synonyms
- Clinical Classification
- Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
- Index to Diseases and Injuries References
- Convert to ICD-9 Code
- Table of Neoplasms
- Patient Education
- Other Codes Used Similar Conditions
- Code History
- Neoplasms
C00–D49
The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.
- Neoplasm of carotid body
- Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body
- Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of paraganglia
Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.
They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.
CCSR Code: NEO072
Inpatient Default: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).
- - Paraganglioma - D44.7
- - carotid body - D44.6
- - Tumor - See Also: Neoplasm, unspecified behavior, by site;
- - carotid body - D44.6
References found for this diagnosis code in the External Cause of Injuries Index:
- Paraganglioma
- carotid body
- Tumor
- carotid body
Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.
ICD-9-CM: 237.3
Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means this ICD-10 code does not have an exact ICD-9 equivalent. The matched code is the closest available option, but it may not fully capture the original diagnosis or clinical intent.
This code is referenced in the table of neoplasms by anatomical site. For each site there are six possible code numbers according to whether the neoplasm in question is malignant, benign, in situ, of uncertain behavior, or of unspecified nature. The description of the neoplasm will often indicate which of the six columns is appropriate.
Where such descriptors are not present, the remainder of the Index should be consulted where guidance is given to the appropriate column for each morphological (histological) variety listed. However, the guidance in the Index can be overridden if one of the descriptors mentioned above is present.
Filter table of neoplasms:
| Neoplasm, neoplastic | Malignant Primary | Malignant Secondary | CaInSitu | Benign | Uncertain Behavior | Unspecified Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| »Neoplasm, neoplastic »carotid (artery) »body | C75.4 | C79.89 | D35.5 | D44.6 | D49.7 |
Carotid Artery Disease
Your carotid arteries are two large blood vessels in your neck. They supply your brain and head with blood. If you have carotid artery disease, the arteries become narrow or blocked, usually because of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque, which is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
Carotid artery disease is serious because it can block the blood flow to your brain, causing a stroke. Too much plaque in the artery can cause a blockage. You can also have a blockage when a piece of plaque or a blood clot breaks off the wall of an artery. The plaque or clot can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in one of your brain's smaller arteries.
Carotid artery disease often does not cause symptoms until the blockage or narrowing is severe. One sign may be a bruit (whooshing sound) that your doctor hears when listening to your artery with a stethoscope. Another sign is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a "mini-stroke." A TIA is like a stroke, but it only lasts a few minutes, and the symptoms usually go away within an hour. Stroke is another sign.
Imaging tests can confirm whether you have carotid artery disease.
Treatments may include:
- Healthy lifestyle changes
- Medicines
- Carotid endarterectomy, surgery to remove the plaque
- Angioplasty, a procedure to place a balloon and stent into the artery to open it and hold it open
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
FY 2026 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026
FY 2025 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025
FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.
