D48.5Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin

D48.5 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin. It belongs to category D48 (neoplasm of uncertain behavior of other and unspecified sites), block D37-D48 (neoplasms of uncertain behavior, polycythemia vera and myelodysplastic syndromes) and chapter 2 (neoplasms). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within D48 (neoplasm of uncertain behavior of other and unspecified sites), D48.5 is specifically for neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin. Related codes cover behavior of bone and articular cartilage (D48.0), behavior of connective and other soft tissue (D48.1), behavior of peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system (D48.2), behavior of retroperitoneum (D48.3), behavior of peritoneum (D48.4), behavior of breast (D48.6), behavior of other specified sites (D48.7) and behavior, unspecified (D48.9).

Don't report D48.5 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: neoplasm of uncertain behavior of anus NOS (D37.8), neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin of genital organs (D39.8, D40.8) and neoplasm of uncertain behavior of vermilion border of lip (D37.0).

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 606 (Minor Skin Disorders with MCC, relative weight 1.5728) and DRG 607 (Minor Skin Disorders without MCC, relative weight 0.8772), in MDC 09 (Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

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

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 238.2 (neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin).