ICD10
ICD-10 Code I61: Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 21 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 entries help standardize how diagnoses are organized for coding, reporting, analytics, and documentation. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. The most accurate code depends on which brain location is identified as the hemorrhage site.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code may act more like a grouping or parent code, so a more specific child code may be used in final documentation when available.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
- This entry may represent a broader category rather than the most specific billable code.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Neurology, emergency, inpatient, and critical-care workflows where intracerebral hemorrhage is part of the active acute diagnosis set.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where the chart supports nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage and the final code changes based on the documented brain location.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes acute neurologic assessment, brain imaging review, hemodynamic monitoring context, and coordination across neurology, neurosurgery, and critical-care teams.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies hemispheric subcortical versus cortical involvement, brain stem, cerebellum, intraventricular extension, multiple localized sites, or another specified hemorrhage pattern.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Cardiologist, General Physician, Orthopedic Specialist, Neurologist.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- These ICD-10 codes are reserved for nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage rather than subarachnoid hemorrhage, other intracranial hemorrhage, or ischemic stroke.
- Brain-location detail drives most of the code specificity inside this family.
- Documentation that describes nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage is coded differently from subarachnoid hemorrhage, other intracranial hemorrhage, or cerebral infarction.
Important exclusions
- sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage (I69.1-)
Related codes to consider
I61.0Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, subcortical
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the brain location, multiple-localized versus single-site pattern, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
I61.1Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, cortical
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the brain location, multiple-localized versus single-site pattern, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
I61.2Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, unspecified
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the brain location, multiple-localized versus single-site pattern, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
I61.3Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in brain stem
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the brain location, multiple-localized versus single-site pattern, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
Code hierarchy
chapter
9Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
block
I60-I69Cerebrovascular diseases
currentI60-I69
Official coding notes
Applicable to
- code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)
Excludes2 (may code together if documented)
- sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage (I69.1-)
Use additional code
- code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)
Where you may see this code
You may see this entry in coding references, medical records, or claims workflows when a broader diagnosis category is being reviewed before a more specific code is chosen.
Related specialists
CardiologistGeneral PhysicianOrthopedic SpecialistNeurologistStroke Specialist
Related codes
I61.0Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, subcorticalcodeI61.1Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, corticalcodeI61.2Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, unspecifiedcodeI61.3Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in brain stemcodeI61.4Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in cerebellumcodeI61.5Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, intraventricularcodeI61.6Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple localizedcodeI61.8Other nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhagecodeI61.9Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, unspecifiedcode
Sibling codes
I60Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhageI62Other and unspecified nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhageI63Cerebral infarctionI65Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries, not resulting in cerebral infarctionI66Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries, not resulting in cerebral infarctionI67Other cerebrovascular diseasesI68Cerebrovascular disorders in diseases classified elsewhereI69Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy code aligns to an official FY 2026 category. Frontend should resolve to the official category page and surface the billable child codes.
Legacy codes
I61
Replacement codes
I61.0 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, subcorticalI61.1 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, corticalI61.2 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in hemisphere, unspecifiedI61.3 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in brain stemI61.4 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in cerebellumI61.5 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, intraventricularI61.6 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple localizedI61.8 — Other nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhageI61.9 — Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, unspecified
Common synonyms
Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.