J38.3
Other diseases of vocal cords
Billable FY2026 2025-10-01 → 2026-09-30
Exclusions 14 never code together
J38code
J00-J99chapter
Excludes2
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)P04-P96
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)A00-B99
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)O00-O9A
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Q00-Q99
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)E00-E88
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)S00-T88
- neoplasms (C00-D49)C00-D49
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)T59.81-
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)R00-R94
Excludes1 — never code together. The excluded condition and this one are mutually exclusive.
Excludes2 — not included here, but the patient may have both. Code both when documented.
Instructional notes 13
J38.3code
Inclusion terms
- Abscess of vocal cords
- Cellulitis of vocal cords
- Granuloma of vocal cords
- Leukokeratosis of vocal cords
- Leukoplakia of vocal cords
J00-J99chapter
Notes
- When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).J40
Use additional code
- code, where applicable, to identify:
- exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)Z77.22
- exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)P96.81
- history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)Z87.891
- occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)Z57.31
- tobacco dependence (F17.-)F17.-
- tobacco use (Z72.0)Z72.0
Index entries leading here 13
- Abscess (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic) L02.91
- vocal cord J38.3
- Cellulitis (diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative) L03.90
- vocal cord J38.3
- Cicatrix (adherent) (contracted) (painful) (vicious) L90.5
- vocal cord J38.3
- Disease, diseased — see also Syndrome
- vocal cord J38.3
- Dysphonia R49.0
- spastica J38.3
- Fixation
- vocal cord J38.3
- Granuloma L92.9
- vocal cord J38.3
- Hyperkeratosis L85.9
- vocal cord J38.3
- Hypertrophy, hypertrophic
- vocal cord J38.3
- Inflammation, inflamed, inflammatory (with exudation)
- vocal cord J38.3
- Keratosis L57.0
- vocal cord J38.3
- Leukokeratosis — see also Leukoplakia
- vocal cord J38.3
- Leukoplakia
- vocal cord J38.3
Alongside this code 7 same parent — J38
Additional references
AHA Coding Clinic® Licence required
Official coding advice for this code. Published by the American Hospital Association. Not included in this installation.