Regular astigmatism, unspecified eye

This code signifies a refractive error where the cornea or lens has an irregular curvature, causing light to focus unevenly on the retina. This results in blurred or distorted vision at all distances, but specifically refers to astigmatism where the principal meridians are perpendicular. This particular code is used when the affected eye is not specified in the documentation.

Use this code when documentation clearly states "regular astigmatism" without specifying laterality (e.g., "astigmatism," "regular astigmatism"). This code is appropriate when the provider has not indicated whether the condition affects the right eye, left eye, or both eyes.

• Avoid using this code if documentation specifies "right eye," "left eye," or "bilateral"; instead, use the more specific codes for regular astigmatism.
• Do not confuse regular astigmatism with irregular astigmatism (H52.23-), which has different underlying causes and clinical presentations.
• Always query the provider for laterality if not documented, to allow for more specific coding.