K51.90 — Ulcerative colitis, unspecified, without complications

K51.90

ICD-10 Chapter 11: Digestive System — illustrative image
Chapter 11: Diseases of the digestive system (K00–K95) — illustrative image

What this code means

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term inflammatory bowel disease limited to the colon and rectum, causing bloody diarrhoea.

Also called: ulcerative colitis, uc.

When this code is used

Used for ulcerative colitis, unspecified, without complications.

Where it sits in ICD-10-CM

Code K51.90 belongs to Chapter 11: Diseases of the digestive system, which covers codes K00–K95 in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM tabular list. The official description above is copied verbatim from the CDC/NCHS FY2027 code file.

Related symptoms

Related anatomy

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Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10-CM code K51.90?

K51.90 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for “Ulcerative colitis, unspecified, without complications”. Ulcerative colitis is a long-term inflammatory bowel disease limited to the colon and rectum, causing bloody diarrhoea.

When is code K51.90 used?

Used for ulcerative colitis, unspecified, without complications. It belongs to Chapter 11 of ICD-10-CM (Diseases of the digestive system).

This guide explains ICD-10-CM codes in plain language for patients, students and other readers. It is educational information only — not coding, billing or medical advice. The code recorded for any real encounter is assigned from the full clinical documentation by the treating team and qualified coders, and only they can decide which code fits a specific case.

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