I63.02
BillableCerebral infarction due to thrombosis of basilar artery
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 249 — Ischemic or Unspecified Stroke
0.289V24HCC 100 — Ischemic or Unspecified Stroke
0.262ESRDHCC 100 — Ischemic or Unspecified Stroke
0.000What This Code Means
A stroke caused by a blood clot in the basilar artery, a major blood vessel at the base of the brain.
Coding Tips
- •Basilar artery thrombosis is a serious condition often requiring urgent intervention
- •Confirm basilar artery involvement through CT or MR angiography documentation
Clinical Significance
Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of the basilar artery is a life-threatening stroke involving the major artery at the base of the brain that supplies the brain stem, cerebellum, and posterior cerebral regions. Basilar artery thrombosis can cause locked-in syndrome, bilateral motor and sensory deficits, cranial nerve palsies, and coma. This is one of the most emergent stroke presentations and carries extreme risk adjustment significance.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Imaging confirmation of acute cerebral infarction in basilar artery territory
- ✓Vascular imaging (CTA, MRA, or angiography) confirming basilar artery thrombosis
- ✓Documentation of thrombosis as the mechanism (vs. embolism or stenosis)
- ✓Detailed neurological examination including cranial nerve assessment and level of consciousness
- ✓Time of onset and emergency treatment including thrombectomy or thrombolytics
- ✓Documentation of clinical severity and prognostic assessment
Commonly Confused Codes
I63.12 — Embolism of basilar artery; different mechanism, clot traveled to the basilar arteryI63.22 — Unspecified occlusion or stenosis of basilar artery; mechanism not specifiedI63.02x — Thrombosis of vertebral arteries; different artery, though vertebral feeds into basilarI65.1 — Occlusion of basilar artery without cerebral infarction; no stroke documented
Code Hierarchy
└I63Cerebral infarction└I63.0Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of precerebral arteries└I63.02Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of basilar artery
└I63.02Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of basilar artery