G40.A

Applicable To

• Childhood absence epilepsy [pyknolepsy]

• Juvenile absence epilepsy

• Absence epileptic syndrome, NOS

Clinical Information

• A childhood seizure disorder characterized by rhythmic electrical brain discharges of generalized onset. Clinical features include a sudden cessation of ongoing activity usually without loss of postural tone. Rhythmic blinking of the eyelids or lip smacking frequently accompanies the seizures. The usual duration is 5-10 seconds, and multiple episodes may occur daily. Juvenile absence epilepsy is characterized by the juvenile onset of absence seizures and an increased incidence of myoclonus and tonic-clonic seizures. menkes, textbook of child neurology, 5th ed, p736)

• Epilepsy characterized by very brief episodes of sudden cessation of activity, usually associated with eye blinking. There is no loss of the muscle tone.

• Generalized seizure that manifests in a form of a brief episode of impairment of consciousness with or without accompanying motor phenomena such as clonic-tonic components, automatisms, or autonomic components.

• The seizure seen in absence epilepsy, consisting of a sudden momentary break in consciousness of thought or activity, often accompanied by automatisms or clonic movements, especially of the eyelids. cdrh)

Details

• G40.A should not be used for reimbursement purposes as there are multiple codes below it that contain a greater level of detail.

• The 2023 edition of ICD-10-CM G40.A became effective on October 1, 2022.

• This is the American ICD-10-CM version of G40.A – other international versions of ICD-10 G40.A may differ.