Sympathetic uveitis, unspecified eye

This code describes sympathetic uveitis, a rare, bilateral, granulomatous panuveitis that occurs after penetrating trauma or surgery to one eye (the exciting eye), affecting the other, previously healthy eye (the sympathizing eye). It is an autoimmune inflammatory response to exposed intraocular antigens.

Use this code when documentation confirms a diagnosis of sympathetic uveitis without specifying laterality. This diagnosis typically follows a history of ocular injury or surgery, and the patient presents with inflammation in the contralateral eye. Ensure the physician explicitly states "sympathetic uveitis" in the medical record.

• Do not use this code if the laterality (right or left eye) is documented; instead, select the more specific code.
• Always sequence a code for the underlying cause of the initial ocular trauma or surgery, if applicable and still relevant to the current encounter.
• Distinguish from other forms of uveitis (e.g., anterior, intermediate, posterior) that are not triggered by trauma to the contralateral eye.