Cerebrovascular disease is a medical condition that occurs due to the permanent or temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 7.8 million US citizens are reported to have cerebrovascular disease. In addition, above 100,000 people die every year due to this medical condition. It is one of the leading serious, long-term disabilities in the country. These statistics highlight that cerebrovascular disease needs to be considered a medical emergency.
When a patient approaches a physician with symptoms like severe headache, inability to move or paralysis of one side, abnormal speech, nausea, dizziness, problem in vision and loss of balance or consciousness, he/she is provided immediate treatment and advised to undergo certain diagnostic tests to identify the exact health concern. Medical claim submission is necessary for accurate physician reimbursement and effective patient care. A neurology medical coding company can help you with your medical billing requirements effectively by submitting reimbursement documents accurately at the right time.
Cerebrovascular disease is an umbrella term for many diseases. The diseases categorized under cerebrovascular disease include cerebral infarction, cerebrovascular malfunction, cerebral aneurysm, carotid stenosis, stroke, moyamoya disease, transient ischemic attack and so forth. As these conditions are categorized under different ICD codes, physicians should be very careful while preparing clinical documents. Medical coders preparing claim submission documents must also be cautious when assigning the medical codes for these conditions. Let’s consider five cerebrovascular diseases and their ICD-10 codes.
Five Cerebrovascular Diseases and Their ICD-10 Codes
1) Stroke
Stroke is caused by the interruption of oxygen supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. It is the leading cause of disability as well as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. However, effective treatment can prevent long-term disability and save lives.
Strokes are divided into three different categories such as infarction or ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Each of these conditions is represented by different ICD-10 codes. The ICD-codes for stroke are as follows:
- 160 Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage
- I61 Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage
- I62 Spontaneous subdural hemorrhage
Acute stroke codes for pre-cerebral arteries
- I63.0 Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of pre-cerebral arteries
- 163.1 Cerebral infarction due to embolism of pre-cerebral arteries
- I63.2 Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of pre-cerebral arteries
Acute stroke codes for cerebral arteries
- I63.3 Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of cerebral arteries
- I63.4 Cerebral infarction due to embolism of cerebral arteries
- I63.5 Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of cerebral arteries
- I63.6 Cerebral infarction due to cerebral venous thrombosis, non-pyrogenic
- I63.8 Other cerebral infarction
- I63.9 Cerebral infarction unspecified
- G45.9 Transient Ischemic Attack, unspecified
2) Carotid Stenosis
The carotid arteries supply oxygen to the brain. Fat and cholesterol buildup may lead to the formation of plaque which may block the supply of oxygen to the brain. This process of plaque formation is known as atherosclerosis and the severe blockage that leads to the blockage of the supply of oxygen is known as carotid stenosis. The ICD-10 codes for carotid stenosis include:
- I65.2 Occlusion and stenosis of carotid artery
- I65.21 Occlusion and stenosis of right carotid artery
- I65.22 Occlusion and stenosis of left carotid artery
- I65.23 Occlusion and stenosis of bilateral carotid arteries
- I65.29 Occlusion and stenosis of unspecified carotid artery
3) Cerebral Aneurysms
According to recent studies, this medical condition can occur irrespective of age group. However, people in the age group 50-60 fall in the risk category. Among those who are under treatment for cerebral aneurysms, women are three times more than men. This shows that women fall in the risk category. The ICD-10 codes for cerebral aneurysms are given below.
- I67.1 Cerebral aneurysm, nonruptured
- I60.7 Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from unspecified intracranial artery
4) Moyamoya disease
Moyamoya disease is due to the narrowing or blocking of carotid arteries in the skull. This may reduce the flow of blood to the brain. This condition is usually found in children. However, aged people are not exempted from this medical condition. In the United States, this condition is found in less than 1 in 100,000. Even though it can affect people irrespective of age, this condition is commonly diagnosed in children aged 5-15 years and in adults in their early 40s. Females are at higher risk of developing this condition than men. The ICD-10 code for this condition is:
- 167.5 Moyamoya disease
5) Brain AVM or Arteriovenous Malfunction
A brain AVM or Arteriovenous Malfunction is the occurrence of tangles of abnormal blood vessels that connect the arteries and veins in the brain. As a result, it disrupts the flow of oxygen to the brain. This will not create any problem for the majority of the people. It may affect anyone irrespective of gender and race. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), it is estimated that 1 in 100,000 US citizens report AVM every year. The ICD-10 codes for reporting AVM are as follows.
- Q27.3 Arteriovenous malformation (peripheral)
- Q27.30 Arteriovenous malformation, site unspecified
- Q27.31 Arteriovenous malformation of vessel of upper limb
- Q27.32 Arteriovenous malformation of vessel of lower limb
- Q27.33 Arteriovenous malformation of digestive system vessel
- Q27.34 Arteriovenous malformation of renal vessel
- Q27.39 Arteriovenous malformation, other site
As cerebrovascular disease is a common term used to describe many medical conditions, medical coders have to cross many hurdles while preparing claim documents. The selection of appropriate ICD-10 codes is vital to describe a patient’s condition accurately. An experienced medical billing and coding company that provides neurology medical billing services can assist healthcare providers in submitting accurate claims to insurers on time.
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