We are Now in the Final Phase of the ICD Process
The Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (MSAC), who advise the World Health Organization (WHO) on scientific updates, has publicly released the latest update on Visual Snow Syndrome obtaining its own code in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
Their verdict is as follows:
MSAC Decision (PUBLIC)
The Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (MSAC) has reviewed this proposal and recommends accepting the proposal with modification, to add “Visual snow syndrome” as a distinct clinical entity in ICD-11 as proposed in the proposal, and also add “Visual snow” in “Symptoms or signs involving the visual system” under “21 Symptoms, signs or clinical findings, not elsewhere classified” in order to accommodate secondary causes of visual snow which should be differentiated from (primary i.e. idiopathic) visual snow syndrome.
The Description of Visual Snow (symptoms) is suggested as follows:
“Visual snow is a persistent innumerable dots throughout the visual field that appear similar to grainy or pixelated television static, as one might see on an analog television channel out of tune. These tiny dots may be transparent, black and white, or colorful and are often flickering in a dynamic way.”
The VSI team is happy to report that MSAC has reviewed our proposal for Visual Snow Syndrome. Based on our proposal, they are recommending that both Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), the neurological condition, and Visual Snow (VS), or seeing snow-like static, the primary visual symptom of VSS, both be added to ICD-11. They have voted in favor of VSS and VS having their own ICD codes.
MSAC’s decision will now move on to being reviewed by the Classification and Statistics Advisory Committee (CSAC). They are the final determiners of whether VSS and VS will get their own ICD codes and what those exact codes will be.
We are now in the final phase of the ICD process.
More updates to come soon after CSAC has made their decision.
Thank you so much for your patience and support along the way!For the latest updates and developments on VSI, as well as additional information about Sierra Domb’s contributions, please read “VSI’s Efforts to Get Visual Snow Syndrome Medically-Recognized and Accepted Worldwide are Making Progress” for more information regarding ICD Updates.
