I87.33 Chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic) with ulcer and inflammation

ICD-10-CM I87.33: Chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic) with ulcer and inflammation

ICD-10-CM code I87.33 designates a diagnosis of chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic) with ulcer and inflammation. The code is an active terminology concept representing a disease or syndrome. It is categorized under the parent concept for idiopathic chronic venous hypertension and appears in billing contexts for lower extremity conditions. 1 5 6

Plain-language overview

ICD-10-CM code I87.33 identifies a disease or syndrome concept named chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic) with ulcer and inflammation, serving as an active terminology record for this specific diagnosis. 1 6

What this code represents

The I87.33 diagnosis code represents chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic) with ulcer and inflammation, and it exists as a narrower concept under the parent code I87.3 for chronic venous hypertension (idiopathic). 1

Venous leg ulcers are advanced clinical manifestations of chronic venous insufficiency and venous hypertension, arising from venous reflux or obstruction that leads to elevated pressure, microcirculatory dysfunction, and inflammatory tissue injury. 2

Clinical context

Sustained chronic venous hypertension is responsible for dermatologic and vascular complications that form venous leg ulcers, while chronic inflammation and impaired blood flow favor thrombus formation, leading to further fibrosis and valvular destruction. 2

Coding details

The terminology record for I87.33 lists no narrower child concepts within the ICD-10-CM system, and the official published abbreviation is chronic venous hypertension w ulcer and inflammation. 1

A phecode mapping list includes the exact I87.33 label alongside related variants specifying ulcers and inflammation of the right, left, bilateral, or unspecified lower extremities. 3

Documentation considerations

Clinical assessment of venous leg ulcers involves identifying medial gaiter-area ulcers with surrounding stasis changes, edema, and skin hyperpigmentation, alongside diagnostic arterial perfusion and duplex ultrasound evaluations. 2

Coverage and utilization context

A Medicare billing and coding article for varicose veins of the lower extremities explicitly references the I87.33 code family, including a variant for ulcer and inflammation of the right lower extremity. 5

What the sources add

While the National Cancer Institute terminology record establishes the official I87.33 code definition and hierarchy, the Medicare billing article references the code within a document providing billing and coding guidance for varicose veins of the lower extremities. 1 5

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM I87.33 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Phecode 453 · ExPRSweb — csg.sph.umich.edu; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: Treatment of Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the Lower Extremities (A58250) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. Article - Billing and Coding: Treatment of Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremities (A58876) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.