Mooren's corneal ulcer, unspecified eye

This code represents Mooren's corneal ulcer, a rare, chronic, and progressive ulcerative keratitis characterized by painful, peripheral corneal thinning that can spread circumferentially and centrally. It is an idiopathic, non-infectious inflammatory condition that typically spares the limbus.

Use this code when documentation confirms a diagnosis of Mooren's corneal ulcer without specifying the affected eye (e.g., "Mooren's ulcer"). This diagnosis is often made clinically based on characteristic presentation and exclusion of other causes of peripheral ulcerative keratitis.

• Ensure the documentation clearly states "Mooren's corneal ulcer" and does not specify laterality.
• If laterality is documented (e.g., right eye, left eye, bilateral), use the more specific codes H16.051, H16.052, or H16.053.
• Differentiate from other forms of peripheral ulcerative keratitis, such as those associated with systemic autoimmune diseases, which would be coded differently.