2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A39.82Meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A30-A49›A39

ICD-10-CM A39.82
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A39.82 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). Coders also document this condition as infection causing inflammation of optic nerve. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Neuro-ophthalmology.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A39.82
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis
Short Description
Meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A39.8
Other meningococcal infections

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA30-A49Other bacterial diseases
CategoryA39Meningococcal infection
This CodeA39.82Meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Infection causing inflammation of optic nerve
  • Meningococcal optic neuritis
  • Meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis
  • Retrobulbar neuritis

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.

    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • meningococcal
        • retrobulbar neuritis
    • Neuritis(rheumatoid)
      • retrobulbar
        • in (due to)
          • meningococcal infection
    • Neuritis(rheumatoid)
      • retrobulbar
        • meningococcal

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR EYE006
Neuro-ophthalmology
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Meningococcal Infections

    infections with bacteria of the species neisseria meningitidis.

  • Neisseria meningitidis

    a species of gram-negative, aerobic bacteria. it is a commensal and pathogen only of humans, and can be carried asymptomatically in the nasopharynx. when found in cerebrospinal fluid it is the causative agent of cerebrospinal meningitis (meningitis, meningococcal). it is also found in venereal discharges and blood. there are at least 13 serogroups based on antigenic differences in the capsular polysaccharides; the ones causing most meningitis infections being a, b, c, y, and w-135. each serogroup can be further classified by serotype, serosubtype, and immunotype.

Patient EducationClinical

Eye Infections

Your eyes can get infections from bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Eye infections can occur in different parts of the eye and can affect just one eye or both. Two common eye infections are:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert A39.82 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
036.81 Meningococc optic neurit
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 A39.82Overview

Is A39.82 (Other meningococcal infections) a billable code?

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

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A39.82?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, meningococcal retrobulbar neuritis converts to ICD-9-CM 036.81 (meningococc optic neurit). 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.