Q16.1 Congenital absence, atresia and stricture of auditory canal (external)

The ICD-10-CM code for Congenital absence, atresia and stricture of auditory canal (external) is Q16.1 (FY2026). It is a billable, claim-ready diagnosis code.

Classification

Chapter

17: Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-QA0)

Section

Q10-Q18: Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18)

Category Q16

8 codes (7 billable)

FY2026 Status

Stable since FY2024

Also Known As

ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index entries that lead to Q16.1:

• Anomaly, anomalous (congenital) (unspecified type) › osseous meatus (ear)
• Atresia, atretic › osseous meatus (ear)
• Agenesis › auditory (canal) (external)
• Fusion, fused (congenital) › auditory canal
• Atresia, atretic › ear canal
• Agenesis › osseous meatus (ear)
• Atresia, atretic › auditory canal (external)
• Absence (of) (organ or part) (complete or partial) › auditory canal (congenital) (external)

Inclusion Terms

• Congenital atresia or stricture of osseous meatus

U.S. Hospital Utilization

• An estimated 430 U.S. inpatient stays in 2023 included Q16.1 among the documented diagnoses.

Source: National Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2016–2023. National survey-weighted estimates.

Official Coding Guidelines

POA indicator for congenital conditions/anomalies and Q00-Q99 exception

Congenital conditions and anomalies Assign “Y” for congenital conditions and anomalies except for categories Q00- Q99, Congenital anomalies, which are on the exempt list. Congenital conditions are always considered present on admission.

Source: CMS — ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY2026

References

• CMS — ICD-10-CM Official Code Set and Guidelines, FY2026
• CDC/NCHS — ICD-10-CM Files and Browser Tool
• AHRQ — HCUP National Inpatient Sample, Frequencies by Diagnosis Code (2016–2023)