2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code G96.01Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous

ICD-10-CM Codes›G00–G99›G89-G99›G96

ICD-10-CM G96.01
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

G96.01 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). Coders also document this condition as intracranial hypotension. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other nervous system disorders (neither hereditary nor degenerative).

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
G96.01
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous
Short Description
Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
G96.0
Cerebrospinal fluid leak

Code Classification

ChapterG00–G99Diseases of the nervous system
SectionG89-G99Other disorders of the nervous system
CategoryG96Other disorders of central nervous system
This CodeG96.01Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Intracranial hypotension
  • Intracranial hypotension due to cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea
  • Intracranial hypotension due to cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Otorrhea due to spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid CSF leak
  • Rhinorrhea due to spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid CSF leak
  • Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak from skull base

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.

    • Leak, leakage
      • cerebrospinal fluid
        • cranial
          • spontaneous
    • Leak, leakage
      • cerebrospinal fluid
        • spontaneous
          • from
            • skull base
    • Otorrhea
      • cerebrospinal (fluid)
    • Otorrhea
      • cerebrospinal (fluid)
        • spontaneous
    • Rhinorrhea
      • cerebrospinal (fluid)
    • Rhinorrhea
      • cerebrospinal (fluid)
        • spontaneous

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR NVS020
Other nervous system disorders (neither hereditary nor degenerative)
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Intracranial Hypotension

    reduction of cerebrospinal fluid pressure characterized clinically by orthostatic headache and occasionally by an abducens nerve palsy; hearing loss; nausea; neck stiffness, and other symptoms. this condition may be spontaneous or secondary to cerebrospinal fluid leak; spinal puncture; neurosurgical procedures; dehydration; uremia; trauma (see also craniocerebral trauma); and other processes. chronic hypotension may be associated with subdural hematomas (see hematoma, subdural) or hygromas. (from semin neurol 1996 mar;16(1):5-10; adams et al., principles of neurology, 6th ed, pp637-8)

Code History & ChangesHistory

Replacement G96.01 replaces the following previously assigned code(s):

  • G96.0 - Cerebrospinal fluid leak
FY 2021AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2020.
FY 2022–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About G96.01Overview

Is G96.01 (Cerebrospinal fluid leak) a billable code?

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

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.