Hydrocephalus ICD-10-CM Codes | 2023
Read this short guide to learn about Hydrocephalus ICD codes you can use!
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What Hydrocephalus ICD-10 codes can I use?
If you’re looking for Hydrocephalus ICD codes, there are several to pick from. Here are six examples you can use:
- G91.9 - Hydrocephalus, unspecified
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have Hydrocephalus.
This code has an unspecified label, which means the specific type of Hydrocephalus hasn’t been identified. Once the specific type has been identified, please use a more specific ICD-10 code.
- G91.0 - Communicating hydrocephalus
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have Communicating Hydrocephalus.
This type of Hydrocephalus is characterized by a blockage that emerges after cerebrospinal fluid leaves the ventricles.
- G91.1 - Obstructive hydrocephalus
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have Obstructive Hydrocephalus.
Another term for this is Non-communicating Hydrocephalus. It is characterized by cerebrospinal fluid flow being blocked along the narrow passages connecting the ventricles.
- G91.2 - (Idiopathic) normal pressure hydrocephalus
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
The enlarging of ventricles characterizes this due to cerebrospinal fluid build-up, but there’s little to no increase in pressure.
- G91.3 - Post-traumatic hydrocephalus, unspecified
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have Post-traumatic Hydrocephalus.
This type of Hydrocephalus is also referred to as Hydrocephalus Ex-vacuo. This is characterized by the shrinking of brain tissue around the ventricles due to head injuries or cerebral infarction. Cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles, which makes them larger. The enlarged ventricles take up the space left by the shrunk brain tissues.
- G91.8 - Other hydrocephalus
This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to have a type of Hydrocephalus that doesn’t have a specific ICD-10 code similar to Items 2 to 5.
Are these Hydrocephalus ICD-10 codes billable?
Yes. All these ICD-10 codes for Hydrocephalus are valid and billable.
Clinical information about Hydrocephalus:
Hydrocephalus is a potentially life-threatening medical condition. It’s characterized by the abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid (sometimes referred to as CSF for short) in the brain, specifically in the ventricles.
CSF is an essential part of our bodies because it is responsible for delivering nutrients to our brains and removing waste from them. It also helps with protecting our brains and spinal cords from injuries.
Despite being an essential part of our bodies, an abnormal CSF build-up in the brain isn’t good because it causes the ventricles to enlarge, and the larger they are, the more pressure they exert on our skulls. If left unchecked and untreated, the pressure can cause problems, with brain damage being one of the worst.
Synonyms include:
- Acquired hydrocephalus
- Acquired hydrocephalus of newborn
- Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea due to hydrocephalus
- External hydrocephalus
- Hydrocephalus with anomaly of aqueduct of Sylvius
- Internal hydrocephalus
- Leak of cranial cerebrospinal fluid due to hydrocephalus
- Hydrocephalus ICD 10
- ICD 10 code for hydrocephalus
- Normal pressure hydrocephalus ICD 10
- ICD 10 hydrocephalus
- ICD 10 normal pressure hydrocephalus
Commonly asked questions
Besides head injuries, other causes include bleeding in the brain, bacterial infections, brain tumors, meningitis, and stroke. Some people are born with Hydrocephalus (congenital) as a result of problems during pregnancy and/or genetics.
Symptoms include headaches, cognitive problems, weak memory, sudden changes in personality, sudden changes in behavior, nausea, blurred vision, double vision, loss of balance, loss of coordination, and loss of bladder control.
If it's congenital, the child will likely have an abnormally large head with bulges, they will feel sleepy a lot of the time and have sun-setting eyes.
Right now, there is no cure for Hydrocephalus, and the only way to address it is to conduct surgery either by implanting a shunt in the brain or creating a hole in the floor of the third ventricle. The former drains excess CSF, and the latter prevents the flow of CSF from stopping.
