Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, not intractable

This code describes a rare, severe, and chronic primary headache disorder characterized by frequent, short-lasting attacks of strictly unilateral head pain, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as conjunctival injection, lacrimation, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, forehead and facial sweating, miosis, ptosis, and eyelid edema. A defining feature is its absolute responsiveness to indomethacin.

Assign this code for patients diagnosed with chronic paroxysmal hemicrania where the condition is well-controlled with treatment and does not significantly impact daily function despite its chronic nature. Documentation should explicitly state "chronic paroxysmal hemicrania" and indicate that it is "not intractable" or "responsive to treatment."

• Differentiate from other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) like cluster headache or SUNCT/SUNA, which have different treatment responses and attack characteristics.
• Ensure the documentation specifies "chronic" and "not intractable" to accurately assign this code; otherwise, consider unspecified or intractable variants.
• Always review the provider's notes for the specific type of headache and its intractability status to select the most precise G44.0- subcategory.