I63.22
BillableCerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis 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 blockage or narrowing of the basilar artery, a major blood vessel at the base of the brain.
Coding Tips
- •Basilar artery strokes are particularly serious; ensure documentation supports this specific vessel involvement
- •Review imaging reports (CT, MRI, angiography) to confirm basilar artery occlusion or stenosis
Clinical Significance
Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of the basilar artery is a serious posterior circulation stroke involving the single midline artery that supplies the brain stem and posterior brain. Basilar artery strokes are among the most serious stroke subtypes with high mortality and severe disability. The unspecified mechanism means documentation does not clarify whether thrombosis, embolism, or stenosis caused the occlusion.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Imaging confirmation of posterior circulation cerebral infarction
- ✓Vascular imaging confirming basilar artery occlusion or stenosis
- ✓Documentation supporting basilar artery as the affected vessel
- ✓Detailed neurological examination including brain stem function assessment
- ✓Stroke mechanism evaluation to determine thrombosis vs. embolism
- ✓Emergency treatment documentation and clinical outcome
Commonly Confused Codes
I63.02 — Thrombosis of basilar artery; thrombosis mechanism specifiedI63.12 — Embolism of basilar artery; embolism mechanism specifiedI63.21x — Vertebral artery occlusion; different artery, though vertebrals feed into basilarI65.1 — Occlusion of basilar artery without cerebral infarction; no strokeI63.20 — Unspecified precerebral artery occlusion; does not identify basilar artery
Code Hierarchy
└I63Cerebral infarction└I63.2Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of precerebral arteries└I63.22Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of basilar artery
└I63.22Cerebral infarction due to unspecified occlusion or stenosis of basilar artery