Abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging of central nervous system (R90) ICD-10-CM

About the R90 Code Range

The ICD-10 code R90 category covers abnormal findings detected through diagnostic imaging of the central nervous system, helping to identify unusual conditions without assigning a specific diagnosis. These codes are essential when brain scans reveal unexpected results that require further clinical correlation.

R90.0 refers specifically to intracranial space-occupying lesions found on imaging, such as masses or tumors seen in the brain. The code R90.81 denotes an abnormal echoencephalogram, a type of brain ultrasound, useful when this imaging modality shows irregularities. The R90.82 code is used for unspecified white matter disease, which can represent various conditions including encephalopathy, vascular-related silent white matter changes, or toxic leukoencephalopathy, often described by synonyms like “white matter disorder” or "cerebral degeneration." Lastly, R90.89 captures other abnormal imaging findings such as those noted on MRI or CT scans, including nonconvulsive seizures or amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). This classification aids medical coders in identifying abnormal brain imaging results that require monitoring or additional diagnosis.