H44.742 Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, left eye

ICD-10-CM Code H44.742: Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, left eye

ICD-10-CM code H44.742 identifies a retained, nonmagnetic, old foreign body located in the posterior wall of the globe of the left eye. The code is listed in the 2025 ICD-10-CM version and is designated as a billable, specific code. Medicare ophthalmology billing articles reference this diagnosis code in the context of posterior segment imaging procedures. 2 4 5

Plain-language overview

Code H44.742 corresponds to the diagnosis of a retained nonmagnetic old foreign body in the posterior wall of the globe, left eye. This code is listed in the 2025 ICD-10-CM system. 4

What this code represents

The code H44.742 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code. It is distinct from codes for magnetic foreign bodies and from codes for foreign bodies in the right eye or both eyes. 1 5

Coding details

Source S1 lists separate codes for retained magnetic and nonmagnetic old foreign bodies in the posterior wall of the globe. The nonmagnetic category includes distinct codes for the right eye, left eye, bilateral, and unspecified eye. 1

Code H44.742 specifically denotes the left eye. Code H44.741 is listed for the right eye, and a separate code exists for a bilateral presentation. 1 2

Documentation considerations

The official label for H44.742 specifies a nonmagnetic and old retained object in the posterior wall of the globe of the left eye. The sources do not provide specific clinical documentation guidelines for this code. 4

Coverage and utilization context

Two distinct Medicare billing and coding articles concerning ophthalmology posterior segment imaging list H44.742. The appearance of this code in these articles does not establish a coverage determination for any specific service. 2 3

What the sources add

The CMS articles reference H44.742 within the context of billing and coding for extended ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography. The EVS Explore source confirms the code's official 2025 ICD-10-CM description. 2 3 4

The CMS articles and the Eleplan source provide different operational contexts. The CMS sources list the code within Medicare billing articles, while the Eleplan source identifies H44.742 as a billable, specific code. 2 5

Sources

1. Phecode 1001 · ExPRSweb — csg.sph.umich.edu; accessed 2026-07-25.
2. Article - Billing and Coding: Ophthalmology: Posterior Segment Imaging (Extended Ophthalmoscopy and Fundus Photography) (A56726) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
3. Article - Billing and Coding: Ophthalmology: Extended Ophthalmoscopy and Fundus Photography (A53060) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
4. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
5. H44.742 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, left eye | ICD-10 Code · Eleplan — eleplan.com; accessed 2026-07-25.