H53.5 Color vision deficiencies

ICD-10-CM Code H53.5: Color Vision Deficiencies

ICD-10-CM code H53.5 represents color vision deficiencies, a group of conditions affecting color perception without necessarily impacting visual acuity. The code falls under the visual disturbances category and is an active diagnosis concept. Various tests exist to evaluate and classify these deficiencies, which can be inherited or acquired. 1 3 2

Plain-language overview

Color vision deficiency, sometimes called color blindness, is a group of conditions affecting color perception, and red-green defects represent the most common form of these deficiencies. 3

These deficiencies disrupt color perception but do not affect the sharpness of vision, although a severe form called blue cone monochromacy causes very poor visual acuity and severely reduced color vision. 3

What this code represents

The ICD-10-CM code H53.5 carries the preferred name color vision deficiencies, holds an active record status, and is classified under the semantic type of Disease or Syndrome. 1

Code H53.5 is a child concept of the parent category H53, which represents visual disturbances, and the terminology record indicates it has no narrower concepts. 1

Documentation considerations

Clinical documentation may distinguish between congenital and acquired deficiencies, noting that acquired forms can result from certain drugs like chloroquine or exposure to chemicals such as organic solvents. 3

Evaluating color vision involves tests designed to separate color-defective observers from normal observers, and some instruments permit the accurate classification of all color deficiencies when supplemented by other tests. 2

What the sources add

While the terminology record establishes the official code hierarchy and active status, the clinical source provides operational context regarding the underlying conditions and drugs that cause acquired deficiencies. 1 3

The clinical testing source adds that certain tests, like the Tokyo Medical College test, differentiate between protan and deutan defects, whereas the terminology source confirms H53.5 has no narrower subcodes. 2 1

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM H53.5 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Color vision deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics — medlineplus.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. ICD-10 | Deuteranomaly (H53.53) — cdek.pharmacy.purdue.edu; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. H53.5 - Color vision deficiencies | ICD-10-CM — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.