2025 ICD-10-CM code H50
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Diseases of the eye and adnexa - Disorders of ocular muscles, binocular movement, accommodation and refraction 7 Feed
This code refers to other types of strabismus, a condition where the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object.
Medical necessity for interventions related to H50 is determined by the severity of the strabismus and its impact on visual function, binocular vision development (especially in children), and psychosocial well-being.Documented impairment of vision, significant cosmetic concerns, or risk of amblyopia (lazy eye) can justify medical intervention.
Diagnosis and management of strabismus typically falls under the purview of ophthalmologists and optometrists.They evaluate the type and severity of strabismus, considering factors like age of onset, frequency, and impact on vision.Treatment options can include corrective lenses, eye exercises, prism therapy, or surgical intervention to realign the eye muscles.
In simple words: This code represents other types of eye misalignment problems, where the eyes don't look at the same point together. It's a more general term for a squint when the specific type isn't specified elsewhere.
H50 encompasses various forms of strabismus not classified under specific codes like esotropia (H50.0), exotropia (H50.1), intermittent heterotropia (H50.2), and other specified heterotropias (H50.4-H50.6).Strabismus involves misalignment of the eyes, causing one eye to deviate while the other fixates on a target. This can manifest as one eye turning inwards (esotropia), outwards (exotropia), upwards (hypertropia), or downwards (hypotropia).H50 specifically captures cases not fitting these other more defined strabismus categories.
Example 1: A patient presents with a vertical strabismus where one eye deviates upwards, not fitting the criteria for other specified strabismus types, and thus coded as H50., A child with alternating esotropia, where either eye can turn inwards, and the deviation is not consistent enough to be categorized as intermittent heterotropia, is classified under H50., An adult develops a complex strabismus following an orbital fracture, exhibiting multiple directions of eye misalignment not captured by single codes, requiring the use of H50.
Documentation for H50 should detail the type and direction of the deviation, frequency (constant, intermittent), laterality (which eye is affected or if alternating), any associated visual symptoms (double vision, blurred vision), and previous treatments.Ophthalmological examination findings such as cover tests, visual acuity assessment, and measurements of the deviation angle are crucial.
- Specialties:Ophthalmology, Optometry
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center