J36

ICD-10Billable

Peritonsillar abscess

Official ICD-10-CM descriptor (FY2026)

Peritonsillar abscess

J36 is valid for submission on a claim — CMS flags it as a billable, specific code.

Includes

  • abscess of tonsil
  • peritonsillar cellulitis
  • quinsy

Excludes1

Not coded here. An Excludes1 code should never be reported at the same time as the code above it.

  • acute tonsillitis (J03.-)
  • chronic tonsillitis (J35.0)
  • retropharyngeal abscess (J39.0)
  • tonsillitis NOS (J03.9-)

Use additional code

Report an additional code to identify the associated condition.

  • code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent.

Where this code sits

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Source

ICD-10-CM FY2026. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) / National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), “2026 ICD-10-CM Code Descriptions in Tabular Order” (icd10cm_order_2026.txt). Download the original file from cms.gov. Public domain (US Government work). Descriptors, billable flags and instructional notes on this page are reproduced from that file without modification. Krasyn adds no clinical guidance.

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