Meningitis in sarcoidosis

This code identifies inflammation of the meninges (the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) specifically caused by sarcoidosis. It represents a neurological manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis, often referred to as neurosarcoidosis.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of meningitis directly attributable to sarcoidosis. This typically involves patients with a known history of sarcoidosis who present with symptoms of meningitis, and diagnostic workup (e.g., CSF analysis, imaging) supports an inflammatory process of the meninges linked to their underlying sarcoidosis.

• Always sequence the underlying sarcoidosis code (e.g., 135) first, followed by this code for the meningitis manifestation.
• Ensure documentation explicitly links the meningitis to sarcoidosis; avoid using this code for meningitis of unknown or other specified etiologies.
• Distinguish from other forms of meningitis (e.g., bacterial, viral) which have distinct ICD-9-CM codes.