Pleural effusion, not elsewhere classified
In Other diseases of the pleura (J90-J94), chapter 10: Diseases of the Respiratory System
- J90 is billable and valid on claims for FY 2027. If the record has more detail, check the other codes under J90-J94 below.
- As a secondary diagnosis it is a CC (complication or comorbidity), which can raise the MS-DRG payment. It doesn't count when the principal diagnosis is one of 29 closely related codes.
- Doesn't count toward a Medicare Advantage risk score (no HCC in V28).
- AHRQ's Chronic Condition Indicator classes it as not chronic (an acute or short-term condition).
- 1,499 US deaths in 2024 had an underlying cause in category J90, per the National Vital Statistics System on CDC WONDER. Death records use WHO ICD-10, so the count is for the whole category.
Also indexed as: Effusion, pleura, pleurisy, pleuritic, pleuropericardial; Pleurisy, with, effusion; Pleurisy, pneumococcal; Pleurisy, streptococcal
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Instructional notes
Official coding guidelines
From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.
Covers COPD and asthma exacerbations, sequencing of acute respiratory failure, confirmed versus suspected identified influenza, ventilator associated pneumonia, and vaping-related disorders.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD] and Asthma (page 56)
- Acute Respiratory Failure (page 56)
- Influenza due to certain identified influenza viruses (page 57)
- Ventilator associated Pneumonia (page 57)
- Vaping-related disorders (page 58)
Other codes under J90-J94
Other diseases of the pleura (J90-J94)
- J90Pleural effusion, not elsewhere classified(this code)
- J91Pleural effusion in conditions classified elsewhere
- J92Pleural plaque
- J93Pneumothorax and air leak
- J94Other pleural conditions
J90 MS-DRGs
As the principal diagnosis, J90 groups to MS-DRG 186, 187, 188, 791, or 793 (v44.0). Which one applies depends on procedures performed, secondary diagnoses (CC/MCC), and the patient's age and discharge status.
Related conditions
Grouped by AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR), which sorts every diagnosis code into clinically meaningful categories.
J90 is in Pleurisy, pleural effusion and pulmonary collapse (RSP011, its default category), with 18 codes. Others in it:
Medicare coverage articles listing J90
These 8 Medicare billing and coding articles list J90 as a diagnosis that supports medical necessity for the services they cover. From the CMS Medicare Coverage Database; check your own contractor's article before billing.
Other codes that refer to J90
Notes on these codes point to J90.
About the condition
Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.
Pleural Disorders
Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid. The fluid helps the two layers of the pleura glide smoothly past each other as your lungs breathe air in and out.
Read more about pleural disorders on MedlinePlusCode history
Valid since FY2016, when ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. No changes since.
ICD-9-CM equivalent
Legacy crosswalk from the CMS General Equivalence Mappings (last updated 2018).
- 511.1 Pleurisy with effusion, with mention of a bacterial cause other than tuberculosis (approximate)
- 511.89 Other specified forms of effusion, except tuberculous (approximate)