K25.1 Acute gastric ulcer with perforation

ICD-10-CM K25.1: Acute gastric ulcer with perforation

ICD-10-CM code K25.1 identifies an acute gastric ulcer with perforation, representing a specific diagnosis or health-status concept. The terminology record is active and classifies the concept under the parent category of gastric ulcer. Clinical literature notes that gastric perforation is a serious, potentially life-threatening disease process. 1 2

Plain-language overview

Code K25.1 identifies an acute gastric ulcer with perforation, classified as a disease or syndrome, providing a standardized terminology label for this specific diagnosis. 1

Gastric perforation is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease process that can affect a wide range of patient populations and present with varying severity, from minimally symptomatic conditions to fulminant septic shock. 2

What this code represents

The K25.1 terminology record is active for the 2026 ICD-10-CM version and lists K25, gastric ulcer, as its parent concept, while also containing narrower concepts within the terminology. 1

While K25.1 denotes acute gastric ulcer with perforation, related terminology includes distinct classifications for acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation or without hemorrhage or perforation. 3

Clinical context

Patients with gastric or duodenal perforation most often present with acute abdominal pain that may be sudden and severe, and the condition carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. 2

Common causes of bowel perforation include erosion from gastric or duodenal ulceration, and complications may arise both in the acute setting and during the postoperative or recovery period. 2

Documentation considerations

Related terminology variants for acute gastric ulcer with perforation include distinct classifications for cases with obstruction and cases without mention of obstruction. 3

What the sources add

The terminology record provides the official active label for K25.1, while clinical literature adds operational context by describing the presentation, etiologies, and severity of gastric perforation as a disease process. 1 2

One source maps K25.1 to an acute gastric ulcer with perforation and obstruction, while another lists separate terminology variants for acute gastric ulcer with perforation with or without obstruction. 3 4

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM K25.1 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Phecode 531.2 · ExPRSweb — csg.sph.umich.edu; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.