Endocarditis in systemic lupus erythematosus

This code signifies inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves (endocarditis) occurring as a manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It represents a specific cardiac complication directly attributable to the autoimmune disease.

Assign this code when documentation explicitly links endocarditis to a confirmed diagnosis of SLE. This typically involves findings such as Libman-Sacks endocarditis or other forms of non-infectious endocarditis in a patient with SLE. Supporting documentation should include physician notes detailing the diagnosis of both SLE and endocarditis, and the causal relationship between them.

• Always sequence the underlying systemic lupus erythematosus (M32.10 or M32.19) first, followed by this code.
• Distinguish from infectious endocarditis, which would be coded separately and not linked to SLE.
• Ensure documentation clearly states the endocarditis is "due to" or "associated with" SLE, rather than a co-occurring but unrelated condition.