2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code G96.02Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous

ICD-10-CM Codes›G00–G99›G89-G99›G96

ICD-10-CM G96.02
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

G96.02 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for spinal 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 spinal cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistula. 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
G96.02
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous
Short Description
Spinal 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 CodeG96.02Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Spinal cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistula
  • Spontaneous leak of cerebrospinal fluid of spine

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak from spine

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
        • spinal
          • spontaneous
    • Leak, leakage
      • cerebrospinal fluid
        • spontaneous
          • from
            • spine

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

  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak

    discharge of cerebrospinal fluid through a hole through the skull bone most commonly draining from the nose (cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea) or the ear (cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea).

  • Subdural Effusion

    leakage and accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the subdural space which may be associated with an infectious process; craniocerebral trauma; brain neoplasms; intracranial hypotension; and other conditions.

Code History & ChangesHistory

Replacement G96.02 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 G96.02Overview

Is G96.02 (Cerebrospinal fluid leak) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report spinal 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.