2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A17.0Tuberculous meningitis

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A15-A19›A17

ICD-10-CM A17.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A17.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for tuberculous meningitis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 974 through 976. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Meningitis and Tuberculosis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A17.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Tuberculous meningitis
Short Description
Tuberculous meningitis
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A17
Tuberculosis of nervous system

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA15-A19Tuberculosis
CategoryA17Tuberculosis of nervous system
This CodeA17.0Tuberculous meningitis

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Arachnoiditis
  • Bacterial meningomyelitis
  • Leptomeningitis
  • Meningomyelitis
  • Tuberculosis of central nervous system
  • Tuberculosis of cerebral meninges
  • Tuberculosis of meninges
  • Tuberculosis of spinal cord
  • Tuberculosis of spinal meninges
  • Tuberculous arachnoiditis
  • Tuberculous leptomeningitis

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Tuberculosis of meninges (cerebral)(spinal)
  • Tuberculous leptomeningitis

Type 1 Excludes

  • tuberculous meningoencephalitis A17.82

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Adhesions, adhesive(postinfective)
      • meninges (cerebral) (spinal)
        • tuberculous (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Meningitis(basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
      • caseous (tuberculous)
    • Meningitis(basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
      • tuberculous
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • abscess (respiratory)
        • meninges (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • arachnoid
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • cerebrospinal
        • meninges
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • dura (mater) (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • leptomeninges, leptomeningitis (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • meninges, meningitis (basilar) (cerebral) (cerebrospinal) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • pachymeningitis
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • spine, spinal (column)
        • membrane
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • spine, spinal (column)
        • meninges

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR NVS001
Meningitis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR INF001
Tuberculosis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Arachnoiditis

    acute or chronic inflammation of the arachnoid membrane of the meninges most often involving the spinal cord or base of the brain. this term generally refers to a persistent inflammatory process characterized by thickening of the arachnoid membrane and dural adhesions. associated conditions include prior surgery, infections, trauma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and chemical irritation. clinical features vary with the site of inflammation, but include cranial neuropathies, radiculopathies, and myelopathies. (from joynt, clinical neurology, 1997, ch48, p25)

  • Grade 2 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 2 Arachnoiditis

    moderate symptoms; limiting instrumental adl or mild/moderate impact on age-appropriate normal daily activity (pediatric)

  • Grade 3 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 3 Arachnoiditis

    severe symptoms; limiting self-care adl or severe impact on age-appropriate normal daily activity (pediatric)

  • Arachnoiditis

    inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and adjacent subarachnoid space.

  • Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Arachnoiditis|Arachnoiditis

    a disorder characterized by inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and adjacent subarachnoid space.

  • Grade 1 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 1 Arachnoiditis

    mild symptoms

  • Grade 2 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 2 Arachnoiditis

    moderate symptoms; limiting instrumental adl

  • Grade 3 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 3 Arachnoiditis

    severe symptoms; limiting self care adl

  • Grade 4 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 4 Arachnoiditis

    life-threatening consequences; urgent intervention indicated

  • Grade 5 Arachnoiditis, CTCAE|Grade 5 Arachnoiditis

    death

  • Spinal Arachnoiditis

    a chronic adhesive arachnoiditis in the spinal arachnoid, with root and spinal cord symptoms similar to those caused by pressure from a tumor.

Patient EducationClinical

Meningitis

Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare but can be deadly.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert A17.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
013.00 TB meningitis-unspec
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About A17.0Overview

Is A17.0 (Tuberculosis of nervous system) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report tuberculous meningitis on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A17.0 group to?

When tuberculous meningitis is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 974, 975, 976, with relative weights from 0.8945 to 2.8860 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A17.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, tuberculous meningitis converts to ICD-9-CM 013.00 (TB meningitis-unspec). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.