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ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

C43.2Malignant melanoma of ear and external auricular canal

Not billable — use a more specific code

C43.2 is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself. Choose one of the 3 more specific codes beneath it.

Code unchanged since ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. Source: official FY2027 ICD-10-CM release from CDC/NCHS and CMS. Page updated September 29, 2026. About our data

About C43.2

C43.2 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant melanoma of ear and external auricular canal. It belongs to category C43 (malignant melanoma of skin), block C43-C44 (melanoma and other malignant neoplasms of skin) and chapter 2 (neoplasms). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 3 subcodes must be used instead.

Within C43 (malignant melanoma of skin), C43.2 is specifically for malignant melanoma of ear and external auricular canal. Related codes cover lip (C43.0), eyelid, including canthus (C43.1), other and unspecified parts of face (C43.3), scalp and neck (C43.4), trunk (C43.5), upper limb, including shoulder (C43.6), lower limb, including hip (C43.7), overlapping sites of skin (C43.8) and 1 more.

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: C43.20 (canal), C43.21 (canal) and C43.22 (canal).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Specific codes under C43.2

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to C43.2.

› From C43 Malignant melanoma of skin
Excludes1
  • melanoma in situ (D03.-)
Excludes2
  • malignant melanoma of skin of genital organs (C51-C52, C60.-, C63.-)
  • Merkel cell carcinoma (C4A.-)
  • sites other than skin-code to malignant neoplasm of the site

Broader instructions also apply from Chapter 2: Neoplasms.

Alphabetic index entries

7 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to C43.2.

Codes whose notes reference C43.2

Code history

  1. 2016
  2. 2017
  3. 2018
  4. 2019
  5. 2020
  6. 2021
  7. 2022
  8. 2023
  9. 2024
  10. 2025
  11. 2026
  12. 2027
  • FY2016 (effective 10/1/2015): Added (first year of ICD-10-CM)
  • No changes since FY2016.

Common questions about C43.2

Is C43.2 billable?

No. C43.2 is a header code. Report one of its more specific subcodes instead.