ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L02.03 - Carbuncle of face (original) (raw)
ICD List 2025-2026 Edition
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- 2026 ICD-10-CM Code L02.03
Carbuncle of face
ICD-10-CM Code:
L02.03
ICD-10 Code for:
Carbuncle of face
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:
L02.03 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of carbuncle of face. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
- Code Information
- Approximate Synonyms
- Clinical Classification
- Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
- Index to Diseases and Injuries References
- Diagnostic Related Groups Mapping
- Convert to ICD-9 Code
- Patient Education
- Other Codes Used Similar Conditions
- Code History
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
L00–L99
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.
- Carbuncle of face
- Carbuncle of face
- Carbuncle of temple region
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: SKN001
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).
- - Carbuncle - L02.93
- - cheek (external) - L02.03
- - chin - L02.03
- - face NEC - L02.03
- - forehead - L02.03
- - temple (region) - L02.03
References found for this diagnosis code in the External Cause of Injuries Index:
- Carbuncle
- cheek (external)
- Carbuncle
- chin
- Carbuncle
- face NEC
- Carbuncle
- forehead
- Carbuncle
- temple (region)
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: 680.0
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.
Abscess
An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms. Pus is a mixture of living and dead white blood cells, germs, and dead tissue.
Bacteria, viruses, parasites and swallowed objects can all lead to abscesses. Skin abscesses are easy to detect. They are red, raised and painful. Abscesses inside your body may not be obvious and can damage organs, including the brain, lungs and others. Treatments include drainage and antibiotics.
Skin Infections
What are skin infections?
Your skin is your body's largest organ. It has many different functions, including covering and protecting your body. It helps keep germs out. But sometimes the germs can cause a skin infection. It often happens when the germs enter your body through a break, cut, or wound on your skin. Other skin infections can happen in places where the skin rubs together, especially if the area is moist. Infections can also happen when you have a poor blood supply to an area of your body or if your immune system is weakened because of another disease or a medical treatment.
Some skin infections cover a small area on the top of your skin. Other infections can go deep into your skin or spread to a larger area.
What causes skin infections?
Skin infections are caused by different kinds of germs. For example,:
- Bacteria cause cellulitis, impetigo, and staphylococcal (staph) infections
- Viruses cause shingles, warts, and herpes simplex
- Fungi cause athlete's foot and yeast infections
- Parasites cause body lice, head lice, and scabies
Who is more likely to get a skin infection?
You are more likely to get a skin infection if you:
- Have poor circulation
- Have diabetes
- Are older
- Have an immune system disease, such as HIV
- Have a weakened immune system because of chemotherapy or other medicines that suppress your immune system
- Have to stay in one position for a long time, such as if you are sick and have to stay in bed for a long time or you are paralyzed
- Are malnourished
- Have excessive skinfolds, which can happen if you have obesity
What are the symptoms of skin infections?
The symptoms depend on the type of infection. Some symptoms that are common to many skin infections include rashes, swelling, redness, pain, pus, and itching.
How are skin infections diagnosed?
To diagnose a skin infection, your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. You may have lab tests, such as a skin culture. This is a test to identify what type of infection you have, using a sample from your skin. Your provider may take the sample by swabbing or scraping your skin or removing a small piece of skin (biopsy). Sometimes providers use other tests, such as blood tests.
How are skin infections treated?
The treatment depends on the type of infection and how serious it is. Some infections will go away on their own. When you do need treatment, it may include a cream or lotion to put on the skin. Other possible treatments include medicines and a procedure to drain pus.
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.
