H61.011 Acute perichondritis of right external ear

ICD-10-CM H61.011: Acute perichondritis of right external ear

ICD-10-CM code H61.011 identifies acute perichondritis of the right external ear, an infectious and inflammatory condition of the external ear that can potentially cause serious complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly. The code is an active terminology concept with a parent category for acute perichondritis of the external ear. 1 2

Plain-language overview

Acute auricular perichondritis is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the external ear that can potentially cause serious complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly. 2

A case presentation describes acute perichondritis being diagnosed after a patient arrived at the emergency department with acute ear redness, swelling, and tenderness. 2

What this code represents

The official preferred name for ICD-10-CM code H61.011 is acute perichondritis of right external ear, and the terminology record classifies its semantic type as a disease or syndrome. 1

The H61.011 terminology record is active for the 2026 version of ICD-10-CM and lists H61.01, acute perichondritis of external ear, as its parent concept. 1

Coding details

A terminology explorer lists H61.011 for acute perichondritis of right external ear alongside H61.013 for bilateral acute perichondritis of external ear. 3

Documentation considerations

Clinical literature indicates that incorrect or delayed treatment of perichondritis could lead to focal cartilage necrosis and subsequent permanent deformities of the external ear. 2

Auricular perichondritis usually occurs secondary to trauma, such as high ear piercing, blunt trauma, burns, or iatrogenic causes, which leads to infection with or without abscess formation. 2

What the sources add

The terminology record establishes the official code label and hierarchy for H61.011, while the clinical article adds operational context regarding the infectious and inflammatory nature of acute auricular perichondritis. 1 2

The terminology explorer provides related bilateral and chondritis external ear codes, whereas the terminology record specifically confirms that H61.011 has narrower concepts within the ICD-10-CM terminology. 1 3

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM H61.011 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Perichondritis: Not All Ear Pain Is Otitis — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.