Ulcerative colitis, unspecified with abscess

This code signifies a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis where the specific type or extent of the colitis is not documented, and an abscess is present as a complication. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the colon, and an abscess indicates a localized collection of pus, often a severe complication requiring intervention.

Use this code when the medical record clearly states a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis with an associated abscess, but the physician has not specified the exact anatomical location or clinical subtype of the ulcerative colitis (e.g., pancolitis, proctitis). Documentation must explicitly mention "ulcerative colitis" and "abscess" without further detail regarding the colitis type.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly links the abscess to the ulcerative colitis.
• If the type of ulcerative colitis (e.g., pancolitis, proctitis) is documented, a more specific K51 subcategory should be used.
• Always sequence this code after any acute complications or manifestations that are being treated, if applicable, and consider additional codes for the specific location of the abscess if known and not inherent to the K51.914 description.