ICD-10 Code K70.0 – Alcoholic Fatty Liver (2026): Diagnosis, Symptoms & Billing Guide
2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K70.0 – Alcoholic fatty liver
What it is
K70.0 identifies fatty change in the liver caused by alcohol use. It means fat has accumulated in liver cells, usually from ongoing or heavy alcohol exposure.
Clinical signs
Clinical features vary; refer to documentation. Patients may have no symptoms, or they may present with an enlarged liver, mild right upper quadrant discomfort, or abnormal liver findings noted during evaluation.
When to use this code
Use K70.0 when the provider documents alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic steatosis, or fatty liver due to alcohol. Apply it only when the liver change is specifically linked to alcohol use. If the record describes another alcoholic liver disease more precisely, code that condition instead.
Do not use for
Do not use this code for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or for unspecified liver disease without an alcohol cause. Check documentation if the chart does not clearly connect the fatty liver to alcohol.
Coding tip
Look for explicit provider wording tying fatty liver to alcohol before assigning K70.0.