Version 2024

2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q85.0

Neurofibromatosis (nonmalignant)

ICD-10-CM Code:
Q85.0
ICD-10 Code for:
Neurofibromatosis (nonmalignant)
Is Billable?
Not Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
    (Q00-Q99)
    • Other congenital malformations
      (Q80-Q89)
      • Phakomatoses, not elsewhere classified
        (Q85)

Q85.0 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis (nonmalignant). The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2024 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Specific Coding Applicable to Neurofibromatosis (nonmalignant)

Non-specific codes like Q85.0 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10-CM codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for neurofibromatosis (nonmalignant):

  • Use Q85.00 for Neurofibromatosis, unspecified - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use Q85.01 for Neurofibromatosis, type 1 - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use Q85.02 for Neurofibromatosis, type 2 - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use Q85.03 for Schwannomatosis - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use Q85.09 for Other neurofibromatosis - BILLABLE CODE

Patient Education


Neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system. It mainly affects how nerve cells form and grow. It causes tumors to grow on nerves. You can get neurofibromatosis from your parents, or it can happen because of a mutation (change) in your genes. Once you have it, you can pass it along to your children. Usually the tumors are benign, but sometimes they can become cancerous.

There are three types of neurofibromatosis:

  • Type 1 (NF1) causes skin changes and deformed bones. It usually starts in childhood. Sometimes the symptoms are present at birth.
  • Type 2 (NF2) causes hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and poor balance. Symptoms often start in the teen years.
  • Schwannomatosis causes intense pain. It is the rarest type.

Doctors diagnose the different types based on the symptoms. Genetic testing is also used to diagnose NF1 and NF2. There is no cure. Treatment can help control symptoms. Depending on the type of disease and how serious it is, treatment may include surgery to remove tumors, radiation therapy, and medicines.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Neurofibromatosis type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a condition characterized by changes in skin coloring (pigmentation) and the growth of tumors along nerves in the skin, brain, and other parts of the body. The signs and symptoms of this condition vary widely among affected people.

Beginning in early childhood, almost all people with neurofibromatosis type 1 have multiple café-au-lait spots, which are flat patches on the skin that are darker than the surrounding area. These spots increase in size and number as the individual grows older. Freckles in the underarms and groin typically develop later in childhood.

Most adults with neurofibromatosis type 1 develop neurofibromas, which are noncancerous (benign) tumors that are usually located on or just under the skin. These tumors may also occur in nerves near the spinal cord or along nerves elsewhere in the body. Some people with neurofibromatosis type 1 develop cancerous tumors that grow along nerves. These tumors, which usually develop in adolescence or adulthood, are called malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. People with neurofibromatosis type 1 also have an increased risk of developing other cancers, including brain tumors and cancer of blood-forming tissue (leukemia).

During childhood, benign growths called Lisch nodules often appear in the colored part of the eye (the iris). Lisch nodules do not interfere with vision. Some affected individuals also develop tumors that grow along the nerve leading from the eye to the brain (the optic nerve). These tumors, which are called optic gliomas, may lead to reduced vision or total vision loss. In some cases, optic gliomas have no effect on vision.

Additional signs and symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1 vary, but they can include high blood pressure (hypertension), short stature, an unusually large head (macrocephaly), and skeletal abnormalities such as an abnormal curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Although most people with neurofibromatosis type 1 have normal intelligence, learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occur frequently in affected individuals.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Neurofibromatosis type 2

Neurofibromatosis type 2 is a disorder characterized by the growth of noncancerous tumors in the nervous system. The most common tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 are called vestibular schwannomas. These growths develop along the nerve that carries information from the inner ear to the brain (the auditory nerve). Tumors that form on the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord (meninges) are also common in neurofibromatosis type 2. These tumors are called meningiomas. Tumors can also occur on other nerves or tissues in the brain or spinal cord in people with this condition.

The signs and symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 2 usually appear during adolescence or in a person's early twenties, although they can begin at any age. The most frequent early symptoms of vestibular schwannomas are hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and problems with balance. Less commonly, vestibular schwannomas cause facial weakness or paralysis. In most cases, these tumors occur in both ears (bilaterally) by age 30. If tumors develop elsewhere in the nervous system, signs and symptoms vary according to their location. Complications of tumor growth can include changes in vision, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, and fluid buildup in the brain. Some people with neurofibromatosis type 2 also develop clouding of the lens (cataracts) in one or both eyes, often beginning in childhood.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.