ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group L03 includes diagnoses for cellulitis and acute lymphangitis, covering localized skin and soft tissue infections and inflammation of superficial lymphatic vessels. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical presentation such as site of infection, laterality, and presence of complications like abscess or necrosis, capturing disease severity, organ involvement, or clinical complexity relevant to this group. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM L03 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview policy alerts

Get alerted when relevant policies change without checking for updates manually.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

ICD-10-CM L03: Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis Overview

The ICD-10-CM L03 group covers cellulitis and acute lymphangitis, infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues often caused by bacterial invasion. These conditions target the integumentary system and regional lymphatic channels and can vary from localized skin inflammation to spreading infection. Accurate coding matters for reimbursement because it documents the severity, site, and complications that influence claim adjudication and payment.

When to Use

Use a code from this group when a patient is diagnosed with cellulitis or acute lymphangitis documented by a clinician, including specification of affected site and any concurrent complications. Select the most specific code that matches the clinical documentation, including laterality and extension or associated abscess when present.

ICD-10-CM Codes

55 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
L03.011	Cellulitis of right finger
L03.012	Cellulitis of left finger
L03.019	Cellulitis of unspecified finger
L03.021	Acute lymphangitis of right finger
L03.022	Acute lymphangitis of left finger
L03.029	Acute lymphangitis of unspecified finger
L03.031	Cellulitis of right toe
L03.032	Cellulitis of left toe
L03.039	Cellulitis of unspecified toe
L03.041	Acute lymphangitis of right toe
L03.042	Acute lymphangitis of left toe
L03.049	Acute lymphangitis of unspecified toe
L03.111	Cellulitis of right axilla
L03.112	Cellulitis of left axilla
L03.113	Cellulitis of right upper limb
L03.114	Cellulitis of left upper limb
L03.115	Cellulitis of right lower limb
L03.116	Cellulitis of left lower limb
L03.119	Cellulitis of unspecified part of limb
L03.121	Acute lymphangitis of right axilla

Showing 1–20 of 55

DRG Codes

10 rows

DRG Code	Description
011	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCC
012	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CC
013	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCC
573	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with MCC
574	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with CC
575	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis without CC/MCC
602	Cellulitis with MCC
603	Cellulitis without MCC
791	Prematurity with Major Problems
793	Full Term Neonate with Major Problems

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An adult presents to the emergency department with acute onset of a warm, erythematous, tender area on the lower leg after minor skin trauma and progressive spreading erythema, fever, and chills. The clinician documents an acute bacterial cellulitis of the right lower extremity and initiates IV antibiotics and elevation; a diagnosis from this group is assigned to capture the acute cellulitic infection of a specific anatomic site. Typical codes: L03.311, L03.312
An elderly patient with chronic venous stasis and recurrent episodes of inflamed, swollen skin returns to clinic with localized painful swelling and erythema of the left lower leg without systemic signs, described as recurrent cellulitis superimposed on chronic venous insufficiency; outpatient oral antibiotics and leg care are planned. A code from this group is used to indicate cellulitis of the lower limb as a comorbid dermatologic infection complicating the chronic venous disease. Typical codes: L03.311, L03.319
A pediatric patient is brought to urgent care with rapidly extending red streaks along the forearm from a puncture wound, associated with fever and palpable tender lymphatic cord consistent with acute lymphangitis; parenteral or high‑dose oral antibiotics are started and close follow‑up arranged. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to denote acute lymphangitic involvement of the upper extremity. Typical codes: L03.011, L03.012

ICD-10-CM Code For Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome: Group Overview

L01-IMPETIGO

ICD-10-CM Code For Impetigo: Group Overview

L02-CUTANEOUS-ABSCESS-FURUNCLE-CARBUNCLE

ICD-10-CM Code For Cutaneous Abscess, Furuncle And Carbuncle: Group Overview

L04-ACUTE-LYMPHADENITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Acute Lymphadenitis: Group Overview

L05-PILONIDAL-CYST-AND-SINUS

ICD-10-CM Code For Pilonidal Cyst And Sinus: Group Overview

L08-OTHER-LOCAL-INFECTIONS-OF-SKIN

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Local Infections Of Skin And Subcutaneous Tissue: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

55 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
L03.011	Cellulitis of right finger
L03.012	Cellulitis of left finger
L03.019	Cellulitis of unspecified finger
L03.021	Acute lymphangitis of right finger
L03.022	Acute lymphangitis of left finger
L03.029	Acute lymphangitis of unspecified finger
L03.031	Cellulitis of right toe
L03.032	Cellulitis of left toe
L03.039	Cellulitis of unspecified toe
L03.041	Acute lymphangitis of right toe
L03.042	Acute lymphangitis of left toe
L03.049	Acute lymphangitis of unspecified toe
L03.111	Cellulitis of right axilla
L03.112	Cellulitis of left axilla
L03.113	Cellulitis of right upper limb
L03.114	Cellulitis of left upper limb
L03.115	Cellulitis of right lower limb
L03.116	Cellulitis of left lower limb
L03.119	Cellulitis of unspecified part of limb
L03.121	Acute lymphangitis of right axilla

Showing 1–20 of 55

DRG Codes

10 rows

DRG Code	Description
011	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCC
012	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CC
013	Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCC
573	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with MCC
574	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with CC
575	Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis without CC/MCC
602	Cellulitis with MCC
603	Cellulitis without MCC
791	Prematurity with Major Problems
793	Full Term Neonate with Major Problems

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An adult presents to the emergency department with acute onset of a warm, erythematous, tender area on the lower leg after minor skin trauma and progressive spreading erythema, fever, and chills. The clinician documents an acute bacterial cellulitis of the right lower extremity and initiates IV antibiotics and elevation; a diagnosis from this group is assigned to capture the acute cellulitic infection of a specific anatomic site. Typical codes: L03.311, L03.312
An elderly patient with chronic venous stasis and recurrent episodes of inflamed, swollen skin returns to clinic with localized painful swelling and erythema of the left lower leg without systemic signs, described as recurrent cellulitis superimposed on chronic venous insufficiency; outpatient oral antibiotics and leg care are planned. A code from this group is used to indicate cellulitis of the lower limb as a comorbid dermatologic infection complicating the chronic venous disease. Typical codes: L03.311, L03.319
A pediatric patient is brought to urgent care with rapidly extending red streaks along the forearm from a puncture wound, associated with fever and palpable tender lymphatic cord consistent with acute lymphangitis; parenteral or high‑dose oral antibiotics are started and close follow‑up arranged. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to denote acute lymphangitic involvement of the upper extremity. Typical codes: L03.011, L03.012

ICD-10-CM Code For Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome: Group Overview

L01-IMPETIGO

ICD-10-CM Code For Impetigo: Group Overview

L02-CUTANEOUS-ABSCESS-FURUNCLE-CARBUNCLE

ICD-10-CM Code For Cutaneous Abscess, Furuncle And Carbuncle: Group Overview

L04-ACUTE-LYMPHADENITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Acute Lymphadenitis: Group Overview

L05-PILONIDAL-CYST-AND-SINUS

ICD-10-CM Code For Pilonidal Cyst And Sinus: Group Overview

L08-OTHER-LOCAL-INFECTIONS-OF-SKIN

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Local Infections Of Skin And Subcutaneous Tissue: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM L03: Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM L03: Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

References

ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM L03: Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM L03: Cellulitis And Acute Lymphangitis Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM codes identify cellulitis of the fingers and toes?

How does the L03 group capture laterality and site of infection?

Which L03 codes document acute lymphangitis versus cellulitis?

What role do L03 codes play in reimbursement and claim adjudication?

Are there related DRGs that may be affected by L03 group coding?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM codes identify cellulitis of the fingers and toes?

How does the L03 group capture laterality and site of infection?

Which L03 codes document acute lymphangitis versus cellulitis?

What role do L03 codes play in reimbursement and claim adjudication?

Are there related DRGs that may be affected by L03 group coding?

References