L03.213 Periorbital cellulitis

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L03.213: Periorbital cellulitis

ICD-10-CM code L03.213 represents periorbital cellulitis, an active diagnosis concept defined as a disease or syndrome. It is assigned to the category of cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of the face. Clinically, it is an infection of the eyelid or tissue around the eye anterior to the orbital septum. 1 2

Plain-language overview

Periorbital cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid or tissue around the eye, specifically affecting the structures located anterior to the orbital septum, and it is often associated with the spread of a local infection or injury. 2

What this code represents

The ICD-10-CM code L03.213 is an active terminology record representing the disease or syndrome of periorbital cellulitis, and it is classified as a narrower concept under the parent category L03.21. 1

Coding details

Within the ICD-10-CM terminology, L03.213 is a specific code for periorbital cellulitis that exists as a narrower concept beneath the parent concept for cellulitis and acute lymphangitis of the face. 1

Clinical context

Clinical features such as decreased ocular movement, pain with eye movements, decreased visual acuity, and proptosis are absent in periorbital cellulitis, which helps distinguish it from anatomically distinct orbital cellulitis. 2

Documentation considerations

Clinical literature defines periorbital cellulitis as Chandler criteria I, an infection of the eyelid or tissue around the eye anterior to the orbital septum, whereas orbital cellulitis involves structures posterior to the septum. 2

Coverage and utilization context

The code L03.213 for periorbital cellulitis is found within the ICD-10-CM system accessed through medical references, but the supplied source does not mention payer coverage or reimbursement guarantees. 3

What the sources add

While the terminology record establishes the official code hierarchy and disease classification, the clinical literature adds context by defining the infection's anatomical boundaries and explaining how it differs from orbital cellulitis. 1 2

The clinical literature notes that oral and parenteral antibiotics have shown similar efficacy for uncomplicated periorbital cellulitis, whereas intravenous antibiotics are warranted for orbital cellulitis and related abscesses. 2

Questions to verify

The clinical literature describes periorbital cellulitis as an infection anterior to the orbital septum lacking the posterior features of orbital cellulitis, but does not provide coding rules for verifying code assignment. 2

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM L03.213 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Corticosteroids for periorbital and orbital cellulitis — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. L03.213 - Periorbital cellulitis | ICD-10-CM — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.