Q01.9 Encephalocele, unspecified

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Acts as a Complication or Comorbidity (CC) as a secondary diagnosis. Exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting.

Applies from Q01 Encephalocele

Includes

• Arnold-Chiari syndrome, type III
• encephalocystocele
• encephalomyelocele
• hydroencephalocele
• hydromeningocele, cranial
• meningocele, cerebral
• meningoencephalocele

Excludes1 (never code together)

• Meckel-Gruber syndrome (Q61.9)

Risk adjustment (HCC)

• CMS-HCC V28: HCC 182 — Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
• CMS-HCC V22: HCC 72 — Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
• RxHCC V08: HCC 155 — Spinal Cord Disorders
• ESRD V24: HCC 72

MS-DRG index

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

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 742.0 Encephalocele (approximate)

Code annotations containing back-references to Q01.9

Back-references to Q01

• Type 1 Excludes: Q07.0 Arnold-Chiari syndrome ("Arnold-Chiari syndrome, type III (Q01.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: Q75 Other congenital malformations of skull and face bones ("encephalocele (Q01.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for Q01.9

• Encephalocele
• Podencephalus
• Sinus › pericranii

Nearby codes

• Q01 Encephalocele
• Q01.0 Frontal encephalocele
• Q01.1 Nasofrontal encephalocele
• Q01.2 Occipital encephalocele
• Q01.8 Encephalocele of other sites
• Q01.9 Encephalocele, unspecified (this code)