Other postherpetic nervous system involvement

This code describes neurological complications that persist after a herpes zoster (shingles) infection has resolved, excluding postherpetic neuralgia. These complications can include conditions like zoster-associated myelitis, encephalitis, or vasculopathy, which are direct sequelae of the viral infection affecting the central or peripheral nervous system.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a nervous system involvement (other than neuralgia) that is a direct consequence of a previous herpes zoster infection. This applies to conditions such as postherpetic radiculopathy, cranial nerve palsies, or stroke attributed to zoster vasculopathy, occurring after the acute rash has healed. Documentation should specify the neurological manifestation and its postherpetic etiology.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly links the nervous system involvement to a previous herpes zoster infection, not an active one.
• Distinguish carefully from postherpetic neuralgia (G53.0 or G53.1), which is pain-specific. This code is for other neurological deficits.
• Always sequence this code after the underlying neurological condition if the manifestation is coded separately (e.g., stroke due to zoster vasculopathy).