T20 – Burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code · Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site

Non-billable header

ICD-10-CM code T20

Code: T20 (claims format: T20)
Description: Burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck
Billable: No – use a more specific code below
Valid for: Dates of service October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 (FY2027)
Chapter: 19. Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
Block: T20-T25 Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site

Billable codes under T20

T20 is a header code and cannot be used on claims. Choose the most specific code:

T20.0 – Burn of unspecified degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.1 – Burn of first degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.2 – Burn of second degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.3 – Burn of third degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.4 – Corrosion of unspecified degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.5 – Corrosion of first degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.6 – Corrosion of second degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)
T20.7 – Corrosion of third degree of head, face, and neckHeader (more codes below)

7th character values

Codes in this category need a 7th character to describe the encounter or episode of care (use placeholder X for empty positions).

Character	Meaning
`A`	initial encounter
`D`	subsequent encounter
`S`	sequela

Notes for T20

Excludes2 (not included here):

burn and corrosion of ear drum (T28.41, T28.91)
burn and corrosion of eye and adnexa (T26.-)
burn and corrosion of mouth and pharynx (T28.0)

7th character note:

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T20

Notes inherited from parent codes

Instructional notes at a category or block level apply to every code below it.

Block T20-T25

Includes:

burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema]
burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss]
burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]

Use additional code:

code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code T20?

T20 is the ICD-10-CM code for burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck, in the block T20-T25 (Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site).

Is T20 a billable code?

No. T20 is a header code with more specific child codes; report one of the billable codes listed above.

Source: CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM FY2027 code files, tabular list and index. Reference only – code assignment must follow the official ICD-10-CM guidelines and documentation in the medical record.