Q18.1

Q18.1: Preauricular sinus and cyst

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CMPOA exempt

Q18.1 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for preauricular sinus and cyst. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Check Q18.1 with the rest of the claim: free scrubber

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Fistula of auricle, congenital
Cervicoaural fistula

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above Q18.1

A category’s note binds every code beneath it.

Written on Q18: Other congenital malformations of face and neck

cleft lip and cleft palate (Q35-Q37)
conditions classified to Q67.0-Q67.4
congenital malformations of skull and face bones (Q75.-)
cyclopia (Q87.0)
dentofacial anomalies [including malocclusion] (M26.-)
malformation syndromes affecting facial appearance (Q87.0)
persistent thyroglossal duct (Q89.2)

Other codes that can never be billed with Q18.1

Their own Excludes1 notes name this code, so the conflict is not listed above.

H70.8Other mastoiditis and related conditions
Q17Other congenital malformations of ear
Q75Other congenital malformations of skull and face bones

Risk adjustment

No CMS-HCC V28 category: this code does not change a RAF score.

Medicare coverage

Q18.1 is named in 4 Medicare coverage policies: 4 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which one applies depends on your Medicare contractor.

A54111Billing and Coding: Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Services: Communication Disorders
A57044Billing and Coding: Removal of Benign Skin Lesions
A57204Billing and Coding: MRI and CT Scans of the Head and Neck
A57482Billing and Coding: Removal of Benign Skin Lesions

Alphabetic index entries that lead here

Cyst›ear(external)
Cyst›preauricular
Fistula›cervical, lateral
Fistula›cervicoaural
Fistula›preauricular(congenital)
Sinus›preauricular
Fistula›auricle›congenital
Imperfect›closure›preauricular sinus

Code history

Unchanged in every release from FY2024 to FY2027.