Retinal telangiectasis, left eye

This code describes an abnormal dilation and tortuosity of retinal blood vessels in the left eye. This vascular anomaly can lead to leakage of fluid or blood, potentially causing macular edema, exudates, or retinal detachment, and can impair vision. It is a non-proliferative retinopathy characterized by malformed capillaries.

Use this code when documentation specifies retinal telangiectasis affecting the left eye. This diagnosis is typically made during an ophthalmic examination, often supported by imaging such as fluorescein angiography or optical coherence tomography (OCT) showing characteristic vascular changes.

• Ensure laterality is clearly documented (left eye). If bilateral, a separate code for the right eye (H35.071) and/or unspecified eye (H35.079) would be needed.
• Do not confuse with other retinal vascular disorders like retinal artery occlusion or retinal vein occlusion, which have distinct ICD-10-CM codes.
• Code any associated complications, such as macular edema (H35.32-), separately if documented.