ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Stricture: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group N35 includes diagnoses for congenital and acquired narrowing of the urethra, such as anterior and posterior strictures, and specifies site and complications when applicable. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document obstructive lower urinary tract conditions, capturing severity, anatomical location, and related complications like urinary retention or infection. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM N35 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

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ICD-10-CM N35: Urethral Stricture Overview

The diagnoses in this group represent narrowing of the urethra due to scar, inflammation, trauma, or congenital anomalies affecting urinary outflow. These conditions target the lower urinary tract and can cause urinary retention, infection, and obstructive uropathy. Accurate coding matters for reimbursement because it documents clinical complexity, guides claim adjudication, and supports appropriate resource allocation.

When to Use

Use a code from this group when clinical documentation indicates a urethral stricture with specified site or when the stricture causes obstructive urinary symptoms or complications. Select codes that reflect whether the condition is congenital or acquired and note any related infections, retention, or need for procedures.

ICD-10-CM Codes

29 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
N35.010	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, meatal
N35.011	Post-traumatic bulbous urethral stricture
N35.012	Post-traumatic membranous urethral stricture
N35.013	Post-traumatic anterior urethral stricture
N35.014	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, unspecified
N35.016	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites
N35.021	Urethral stricture due to childbirth
N35.028	Other post-traumatic urethral stricture, female
N35.111	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, meatal
N35.112	Postinfective bulbous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.113	Postinfective membranous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.114	Postinfective anterior urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.116	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, overlapping sites
N35.119	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, unspecified
N35.12	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, female
N35.811	Other urethral stricture, male, meatal
N35.812	Other bulbous urethral stricture, male
N35.813	Other membranous urethral stricture, male
N35.814	Other anterior urethral stricture, male
N35.816	Other urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites

Showing 1–20 of 29

DRG Codes

1 rows

DRG Code	Description
697	Urethral Stricture

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with acute urinary retention, suprapubic pain, and a history of progressive weak urinary stream. Bladder catheterization yields difficulty passing a Foley, and cystoscopy identifies a short, dense stricture in the bulbar urethra causing obstruction; urgent management is initiated for decompression and definitive planning. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to describe the symptomatic urethral narrowing leading to obstructive retention. Typical codes: N35.011, N35.012
A 42-year-old man with a history of recurrent urethral instrumentation for kidney stones reports months of slowly worsening urinary spraying, decreased stream, and intermittent dysuria without acute retention. Outpatient uroflowmetry and retrograde urethrogram confirm a chronic anterior urethral stricture with post-inflammatory changes; elective urethroplasty is scheduled. A code from this group is used to document the chronic, non-acute stricture as the underlying cause of his voiding symptoms. Typical codes: N35.111, N35.112
A 55-year-old woman is admitted with urosepsis secondary to obstructive pyelonephritis; imaging shows bilateral hydronephrosis and a tight distal urethral stricture contributing to urinary stasis. The stricture is noted as a complicating factor in the current infection and will require endoscopic dilation after stabilization. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to indicate the urethral narrowing as a comorbidity contributing to the infectious complication. Typical codes: N35.911, N35.912

Related Codes

N30-CYSTITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Cystitis: Group Overview

N31-NEUROMUSCULAR-DYSFUNCTION-OF-BLADDER

ICD-10-CM Code For Neuromuscular Dysfunction Of Bladder: Group Overview

N32-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-BLADDER

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Bladder: Group Overview

N33-BLADDER-DISORDERS-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Bladder Disorders In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

N34-URETHRITIS-AND-URETHRAL-SYNDROME

ICD-10-CM Code For Urethritis And Urethral Syndrome: Group Overview

N36-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-URETHRA

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Urethra: Group Overview

N37-URETHRAL-DISORDERS-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Disorders In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

N39-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-URINARY-SYSTEM

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Urinary System: 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.

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When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

29 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
N35.010	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, meatal
N35.011	Post-traumatic bulbous urethral stricture
N35.012	Post-traumatic membranous urethral stricture
N35.013	Post-traumatic anterior urethral stricture
N35.014	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, unspecified
N35.016	Post-traumatic urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites
N35.021	Urethral stricture due to childbirth
N35.028	Other post-traumatic urethral stricture, female
N35.111	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, meatal
N35.112	Postinfective bulbous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.113	Postinfective membranous urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.114	Postinfective anterior urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male
N35.116	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, overlapping sites
N35.119	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, male, unspecified
N35.12	Postinfective urethral stricture, not elsewhere classified, female
N35.811	Other urethral stricture, male, meatal
N35.812	Other bulbous urethral stricture, male
N35.813	Other membranous urethral stricture, male
N35.814	Other anterior urethral stricture, male
N35.816	Other urethral stricture, male, overlapping sites

Showing 1–20 of 29

DRG Codes

1 rows

DRG Code	Description
697	Urethral Stricture

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with acute urinary retention, suprapubic pain, and a history of progressive weak urinary stream. Bladder catheterization yields difficulty passing a Foley, and cystoscopy identifies a short, dense stricture in the bulbar urethra causing obstruction; urgent management is initiated for decompression and definitive planning. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to describe the symptomatic urethral narrowing leading to obstructive retention. Typical codes: N35.011, N35.012
A 42-year-old man with a history of recurrent urethral instrumentation for kidney stones reports months of slowly worsening urinary spraying, decreased stream, and intermittent dysuria without acute retention. Outpatient uroflowmetry and retrograde urethrogram confirm a chronic anterior urethral stricture with post-inflammatory changes; elective urethroplasty is scheduled. A code from this group is used to document the chronic, non-acute stricture as the underlying cause of his voiding symptoms. Typical codes: N35.111, N35.112
A 55-year-old woman is admitted with urosepsis secondary to obstructive pyelonephritis; imaging shows bilateral hydronephrosis and a tight distal urethral stricture contributing to urinary stasis. The stricture is noted as a complicating factor in the current infection and will require endoscopic dilation after stabilization. A diagnosis from this group is assigned to indicate the urethral narrowing as a comorbidity contributing to the infectious complication. Typical codes: N35.911, N35.912

Related Codes

N30-CYSTITIS

ICD-10-CM Code For Cystitis: Group Overview

N31-NEUROMUSCULAR-DYSFUNCTION-OF-BLADDER

ICD-10-CM Code For Neuromuscular Dysfunction Of Bladder: Group Overview

N32-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-BLADDER

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Bladder: Group Overview

N33-BLADDER-DISORDERS-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Bladder Disorders In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

N34-URETHRITIS-AND-URETHRAL-SYNDROME

ICD-10-CM Code For Urethritis And Urethral Syndrome: Group Overview

N36-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-URETHRA

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Urethra: Group Overview

N37-URETHRAL-DISORDERS-IN-DISEASES-CLASSIFIED-ELSEWHERE

ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Disorders In Diseases Classified Elsewhere: Group Overview

N39-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-URINARY-SYSTEM

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Urinary System: 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 Urethral Stricture: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Stricture: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM N35: Urethral Stricture Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Stricture: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Urethral Stricture: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM N35: Urethral Stricture Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which conditions are included in ICD-10-CM code group N35?

How does accurate coding within N35 support reimbursement?

What code(s) should be used for post-traumatic urethral strictures in males?

Which N35 codes denote postinfective urethral stricture?

What related DRG is associated with urethral stricture in this group?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which conditions are included in ICD-10-CM code group N35?

How does accurate coding within N35 support reimbursement?

What code(s) should be used for post-traumatic urethral strictures in males?

Which N35 codes denote postinfective urethral stricture?

What related DRG is associated with urethral stricture in this group?

References