ICD10
ICD-10 Code I63.03: Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of carotid artery
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 cerebral infarction attributed to thrombosis of a precerebral artery. The most accurate code depends on whether the record identifies the specific artery and any laterality detail.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of carotid artery 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
- Stroke, neurology, inpatient, and utilization-review documentation where ischemic stroke is linked to thrombotic disease in a precerebral artery.
- Coding workflows where the chart identifies thrombosis of vertebral, basilar, carotid, unspecified, or another precerebral artery as the mechanism for cerebral infarction.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes neurologic examination, vascular imaging review, acute-stroke assessment context, and follow-up of ischemic deficits or stroke-risk factors.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart names the exact precerebral artery and clarifies whether the event is thrombotic rather than embolic or another occlusive pattern.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Cardiologist, General Physician, Neurologist, Stroke Specialist.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- These ICD-10 codes describe ischemic stroke attributed to thrombosis of a precerebral artery rather than embolic disease or another unspecified occlusive pattern.
- Specific artery detail such as carotid, vertebral, basilar, or other precerebral involvement can change the final code.
- Within the precerebral-artery branch, documentation that names vertebral, basilar, carotid, or another precerebral artery changes code specificity.
- Documentation that attributes cerebral infarction to thrombosis of precerebral arteries is coded differently from infarction due to embolism or unspecified occlusion or stenosis of similar precerebral arteries.
Related codes to consider
I63.031Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of right carotid artery
Related cerebral-infarction ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies thrombosis versus embolism, the exact artery, laterality, or another occlusive mechanism.
I63.032Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of left carotid artery
Related cerebral-infarction ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies thrombosis versus embolism, the exact artery, laterality, or another occlusive mechanism.
I63.033Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of bilateral carotid arteries
Related cerebral-infarction ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies thrombosis versus embolism, the exact artery, laterality, or another occlusive mechanism.
I63.039Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of unspecified carotid artery
Related cerebral-infarction ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies thrombosis versus embolism, the exact artery, laterality, or another occlusive mechanism.
Code hierarchy
chapter
9Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
block
I60-I69Cerebrovascular diseases
category
I63Cerebral infarction
category
I63.0Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of precerebral arteries
currentI63.0
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 PhysicianNeurologistStroke Specialist
Related codes
Sibling codes
Coding guidelines
Common synonyms
Cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of carotid artery
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.