2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A17.81Tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A15-A19›A17

ICD-10-CM A17.81
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A17.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord. 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 CNS abscess and Tuberculosis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A17.81
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord
Short Description
Tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A17.8
Other tuberculosis of nervous system

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA15-A19Tuberculosis
CategoryA17Tuberculosis of nervous system
This CodeA17.81Tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Granuloma of spinal cord caused by bacterium
  • Granuloma of spinal cord caused by Mycobacterium
  • Hydrocephalus due to tuberculosis of brain
  • Tuberculoma
  • Tuberculoma of brain
  • Tuberculoma of spinal cord
  • Tuberculoma of spinal cord confirmed
  • Tuberculosis of brain
  • Tuberculosis of central nervous system
  • Tuberculosis of spinal cord
  • Tuberculous abscess
  • Tuberculous abscess of brain
  • Tuberculous abscess of epidural space
  • Tuberculous abscess of spinal cord
  • Tuberculous intracranial abscess

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Tuberculous abscess of brain and spinal cord

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.

    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • brain (any part) (cystic) (otogenic)
        • tuberculous
    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • spinal cord (any part) (staphylococcal)
        • tuberculous
    • Degeneration, degenerative
      • spinal (cord)
        • tuberculous
    • Tubercle
      • brain, solitary
    • Tuberculoma
      • brain
    • Tuberculoma
      • spinal cord
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • abscess (respiratory)
        • brain
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • abscess (respiratory)
        • dura (mater) (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • abscess (respiratory)
        • epidural (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • abscess (respiratory)
        • spinal cord
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • brain
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • cerebellum
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • cerebral, cerebrum
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • cerebrospinal
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • dura (mater) (cerebral) (spinal)
        • abscess (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • epidural abscess (cerebral) (spinal)
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • medulla
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • spine, spinal (column)
        • cord
    • Tuberculosis, tubercular, tuberculous(calcification) (calcified) (caseous) (chromogenic acid-fast bacilli) (degeneration) (fibrocaseous) (fistula) (interstitial) (isolated circumscribed lesions) (necrosis) (parenchymatous) (ulcerative)
      • spine, spinal (column)
        • medulla

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR NVS014
CNS abscess
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR INF001
Tuberculosis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Tuberculoma

    a tumor-like mass resulting from the enlargement of a tuberculous lesion.

  • Tuberculoma, Intracranial

    a well-circumscribed mass composed of tuberculous granulation tissue that may occur in the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brain stem, or perimeningeal spaces. multiple lesions are quite common. management of intracranial manifestations vary with lesion site. intracranial tuberculomas may be associated with seizures, focal neurologic deficits, and intracranial hypertension. spinal cord tuberculomas may be associated with localized or radicular pain, weakness, sensory loss, and incontinence. tuberculomas may arise as opportunistic infections, but also occur in immunocompetent individuals.

  • Tuberculous Abscess

    an abscess resulting from infection by mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Patient EducationClinical

Brain Diseases

Your brain is the control center of your body. It controls your thoughts, memory, speech, and movement. It regulates the function of many organs. It's part of your nervous system, which also includes your spinal cord and peripheral nerves. The nervous system sends signals between your brain and the rest of the body.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert A17.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
013.20 Tuberculoma brain-unspec
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
013.30 TB brain abscess-unspec
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
013.40 Tubrclma sp cord-unspec
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
013.50 TB sp crd abscess-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 A17.81Overview

Is A17.81 (Other tuberculosis of nervous system) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A17.81 group to?

When tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord 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 A17.81?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, tuberculoma of brain and spinal cord converts to ICD-9-CM 013.20 (tuberculoma brain-unspec), 013.30 (TB brain abscess-unspec), and 013.40 (tubrclma sp cord-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.