G96.01 Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Acts as a Complication or Comorbidity (CC) as a secondary diagnosis.

Applicable to

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

Applies from G96.0 Cerebrospinal fluid leak

Excludes1 (never code together)

• cerebrospinal fluid leak from spinal puncture (G97.0)

Code also

• if applicable:
• intracranial hypotension (G96.81-)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 091-093 in MDC 01.

Code annotations containing back-references to G96.01

Back-references to G96.0

• Type 1 Excludes: H92.1 Otorrhea ("leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through ear (G96.0)")

Diagnosis Index entries for G96.01

• 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

Nearby codes

• G96 Other disorders of central nervous system
• G96.0 Cerebrospinal fluid leak
• G96.00 Cerebrospinal fluid leak, unspecified
• G96.01 Cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous (this code)
• G96.02 Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak, spontaneous
• G96.08 Other cranial cerebrospinal fluid leak
• G96.09 Other spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak
• G96.1 Disorders of meninges, not elsewhere classified
• G96.11 Dural tear