ICD-10 Code C50.019 – Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, unspecified female breast (2026): Diagnosis, Symptoms & Billing Guide
2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code C50.019 – Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, unspecified female breast
What it is
This code identifies a malignant tumor in the nipple and areola of the female breast when the side is not specified. Use it for documented cancer involving this breast region, not for benign nipple changes.
Clinical signs
Findings may include a palpable breast or nipple lesion, skin change, ulceration, discharge, or distortion of the nipple-areolar complex. Clinical features vary; refer to documentation.
When to use this code
Use C50.019 when the provider documents primary cancer of the nipple and areola in a female breast and does not specify right or left. It may also apply when pathology or imaging confirms malignancy at this site, but laterality is absent from the record. Check documentation if the lesion is described more generally as breast cancer without site detail.
Do not use for
Do not use this code for benign nipple or areolar lesions, inflammatory breast disease, or secondary metastatic disease to the breast. If the record names a different breast subsite or a specific side, code that documented diagnosis instead.
Coding tip
Look for laterality and exact anatomic site in the operative note, pathology report, or oncology assessment before assigning this unspecified code.