VASRD 7819 · Skin
Benign skin neoplasms VA Disability Rating
Benign skin neoplasms are non-cancerous growths of the skin. DC 7819 does not rate the growth itself and states no percentages: its single instruction is to "Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function." So the evaluation comes from what the growth, or its removal, leaves behind — disfigurement, a scar, or lost function — and the evidence has to describe that residual, not just the lesion.
How the VA Evaluates Benign skin neoplasms
DC 7819 has no criteria table. The schedule's entire entry reads: "Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function." Which route applies is what sets the percentage. On the head, face, or neck, DC 7800 counts characteristics of disfigurement — among the eight it lists are a scar 5 or more inches (13 or more cm.) in length, a scar at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm.) wide at its widest part, a surface contour elevated or depressed on palpation, and a scar adherent to underlying tissue — and runs 10, 30, 50, and 80 percent as those characteristics accumulate; its 30, 50, and 80 percent rows can alternatively be met by visible or palpable tissue loss with gross distortion or asymmetry of one, two, or three or more features or paired sets of features. Elsewhere on the body, DC 7801 rates scars associated with underlying soft tissue damage by area, from 10 percent at 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.) to 40 percent at 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.); DC 7802 gives 10 percent for an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater where there is no such association; and DC 7804 rates unstable or painful scars by count, 10 percent for one or two through 30 percent for five or more. DC 7803 is named in the instruction but no longer appears in the schedule; unstable scars are now evaluated under DC 7804, whose title and rows read "unstable or painful." The third route, impairment of function, is evaluated under the code that covers the function lost.
Approval outlook
Moderate
Veterans service-connected
~3,500 veterans
Typical rating awarded
~10%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •A pathology or biopsy report confirming the growth is benign, which is what places it under DC 7819 in the first place.
- •For the head, face, or neck, an exam addressing DC 7800's characteristics of disfigurement one at a time, with the measurements each of them names.
- •Measurements of any resulting scar — its area in square inches or square centimeters, and a count of any scars that are unstable or painful — for the DC 7801, 7802, and 7804 routes.
- •Records of any functional limitation caused by the growth or its removal, since impairment of function is the third route named.
Strategy Tips
- •Build the claim around the residual rather than the growth. This code sends the evaluation to disfigurement, the scar codes, or impairment of function, so what needs documenting is what the lesion or its removal left behind.
- •For growths on the head, face, or neck, DC 7800's characteristics of disfigurement are specific and measurable — length, width at the widest part, surface contour on palpation, adherence to underlying tissue, and pigmentation, texture, missing soft tissue, or induration over stated areas. Recorded individually they can be applied to DC 7800's tiers; a general description cannot be.
- •For growths elsewhere on the body, the scar routes are measured differently: area for DCs 7801 and 7802, a count of unstable or painful scars for DC 7804. Getting both the measured area and the count into the record keeps each route open.
- •Where the growth or its removal limits function, that is the third route the instruction names, and it is evaluated under the diagnostic code covering the function affected.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •An exam that documents only the lesion — type, size, and that it is benign — and stops there. None of the three routes DC 7819 names can be applied without findings about disfigurement, scarring, or function.
- •Head, face, and neck findings written as a general description instead of against DC 7800's listed characteristics, each of which carries its own measurement.
- •No measurement of the excision or surgical scar, which is one of the routes the instruction names once a growth has been removed.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing on recurrence. How often the growths come back is not a criterion anywhere in DC 7819's instruction — disfigurement, scars, and impairment of function are.
- •Claiming the diagnosis without identifying which route fits it: disfigurement of the head, face, or neck, a scar, or lost function.
- •No dermatology or pathology record confirming the growths are benign neoplasms rather than a skin condition rated under a different code.
Onset Patterns
- •DC 7819 does not evaluate the arrival of the growth. Its instruction sends the rating to disfigurement, scars, or impairment of function, so the disability picture dates from the point at which the lesion or its treatment leaves one of those behind.
- •Because two of the three routes are measured on scars, a growth that has already been excised can still carry an evaluation — what gets measured then is the resulting scar.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Benign skin neoplasms. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Scarring
Pain
Disfigurement
Common Among These Military Jobs
Military occupational specialties (MOS) where Benign skin neoplasms is frequently claimed.
Common questions about Benign skin neoplasms
- Is Benign skin neoplasms a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Benign skin neoplasms under VASRD diagnostic code 7819 (Skin). Benign skin neoplasms are non-cancerous growths of the skin. DC 7819 does not rate the growth itself and states no percentages: its single instruction is to "Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 78…
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Benign skin neoplasms?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Benign skin neoplasms at around 10%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 3,500 veterans are service-connected for Benign skin neoplasms. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate.
- What evidence helps prove Benign skin neoplasms for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Benign skin neoplasms claim includes: A pathology or biopsy report confirming the growth is benign, which is what places it under DC 7819 in the first place.; For the head, face, or neck, an exam addressing DC 7800's characteristics of disfigurement one at a time, with the measurements each of th…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Benign skin neoplasms?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Benign skin neoplasms: Filing on recurrence. How often the growths come back is not a criterion anywhere in DC 7819's instruction — disfigurement, scars, and impairment of function are.; Claiming the diagnosis without identifying which route fits it: disfigurement of the head, face, or…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Benign skin neoplasms?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Benign skin neoplasms include: Scarring, Pain, Disfigurement. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.118 — Schedule of ratings — skin conditions (Diagnostic Code 7819)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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