VASRD 7121 · Cardiovascular System
Post-Phlebitic Syndrome VA Disability Rating
DC 7121 covers post-phlebitic syndrome of any etiology — lasting venous disease in a limb, whatever caused it. All of the code's criteria sit under one heading: the findings must be attributed to venous disease. What the bands measure is what the limb shows — swelling and whether elevating the limb relieves it, skin discoloration (stasis pigmentation) or eczema, hardening under the skin, and ulceration. The ladder runs from 0 percent for varicose veins that cause no symptoms up to 100 percent for massive board-like swelling with constant pain at rest, and each affected limb is evaluated separately.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | Massive, hard swelling with constant pain even at rest |
| 60% | Persistent swelling or hardening under the skin, with discoloration or eczema, and ulcers that do not heal |
| 40% | Persistent swelling plus skin discoloration or eczema, whether or not ulcers come and go |
| 20% | Persistent swelling that elevating the limb only partly relieves, with or without early skin discoloration |
| 10% | Swelling that comes and goes, or aching and tired legs after long standing or walking, relieved by elevation or compression stockings |
| 0% | Visible or feelable varicose veins that cause no symptoms |
How the VA Evaluates Post-Phlebitic Syndrome
All of DC 7121's criteria sit under a single heading that governs them: the findings must be attributed to venous disease. 0 percent is asymptomatic palpable or visible varicose veins. 10 percent is intermittent edema of the extremity, or aching and fatigue in the leg after prolonged standing or walking, with symptoms relieved by elevation of the extremity or compression hosiery. 20 percent is persistent edema, incompletely relieved by elevation of the extremity, with or without beginning stasis pigmentation or eczema. 40 percent is persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without intermittent ulceration. 60 percent is persistent edema or subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or eczema, and persistent ulceration. 100 percent is massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest. Two distinctions carry most of the ladder. The first separates 10 from 20 percent: edema that is intermittent and relieved by elevation or compression hosiery, against edema that is persistent and only incompletely relieved by elevation. The second runs through the upper bands: stasis pigmentation or eczema is optional at 20 percent but required at 40 percent, where ulceration may be intermittent or absent, while 60 percent requires persistent ulceration alongside persistent edema or subcutaneous induration. The code's Note evaluates a single extremity — where more than one is involved, each is evaluated separately and the results combined under § 4.25, using the bilateral factor under § 4.26 if applicable. DC 7120 (varicose veins) carries no criteria of its own; the schedule directs that it be evaluated under this code.
Veterans service-connected
~8,800 veterans
Typical rating awarded
~40%
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
- •Examination notes describing the edema in the terms the bands use — intermittent or persistent, and how far elevation of the extremity relieves it.
- •Wound-care or dermatology records documenting ulceration and whether it is intermittent or persistent.
- •Records of stasis pigmentation, eczema, or subcutaneous induration where present, each of which is named in a specific band.
- •A clinical statement attributing the findings to venous disease, which is the qualifier all of DC 7121's criteria are written under.
- •Compression hosiery prescriptions and elevation instructions. Relief of symptoms by elevation of the extremity or compression hosiery is written into the 10 percent criterion, and edema incompletely relieved by elevation into the 20 percent criterion.
- •Separate findings for each affected extremity, since the Note evaluates one extremity at a time.
Strategy Tips
- •Make sure the record states whether the edema is intermittent or persistent, and how far elevation relieves it. That distinction is the line between the 10 and 20 percent bands.
- •Have ulceration documented by its pattern rather than only its presence. Persistent ulceration is part of what the 60 percent band requires, while the 40 percent band is met with or without intermittent ulceration.
- •Ask that skin findings be named in the schedule's own terms where they are present — stasis pigmentation, eczema, and subcutaneous induration each appear in specific bands.
- •Keep compression hosiery prescriptions and elevation instructions in the file. Relief by elevation of the extremity or compression hosiery is written into the 10 percent band, and incomplete relief by elevation is written into the 20 percent band.
- •Where both limbs are involved, ask that each be examined and described on its own, since the Note evaluates a single extremity at a time and combines the results under § 4.25 with the bilateral factor under § 4.26.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •Swelling recorded without saying whether it is intermittent or persistent, which leaves the 10 and 20 percent bands indistinguishable in the file.
- •No record of how the limb responds to elevation, when relief by elevation appears in both the 10 and 20 percent criteria.
- •An exam that happens to fall while an ulcer is healed, with no history of recurrence in the file, leaving the persistent ulceration the 60 percent band requires unaddressed.
- •Findings noted without being attributed to venous disease, which is the condition the schedule places on all of them.
- •Only one limb examined when both are involved, so the second extremity has no separate finding to be evaluated on.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing this as an arterial or circulation claim. DC 7121 evaluates venous disease findings; the ankle/brachial index, ankle pressure, toe pressure, and transcutaneous oxygen tension measures belong to peripheral arterial disease under DC 7114, not to this code.
- •Submitting a history of a past vein problem with no current findings in the limb. Every band is written from present findings — edema, skin changes, induration, ulceration, pain at rest.
- •Treating varicose veins as a separate rating scheme, when DC 7120 carries no criteria of its own and is evaluated under DC 7121's bands.
- •Claiming both legs as a single condition, when the Note evaluates each extremity separately and combines them under § 4.25 with the bilateral factor under § 4.26 if applicable.
Onset Patterns
- •The schedule titles this code "post-phlebitic syndrome of any etiology", so the cause of the venous damage does not change the criteria. What does matter throughout is the qualifier the criteria sit under: the findings must be attributed to venous disease.
- •The ladder reads as a progression in the limb rather than a timeline — asymptomatic varicose veins at 0 percent; intermittent edema, or aching and fatigue after prolonged standing or walking, relieved by elevation or compression hosiery at 10 percent; persistent edema only incompletely relieved by elevation at 20 percent; persistent edema with stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without intermittent ulceration, at 40 percent; persistent edema or subcutaneous induration with stasis pigmentation or eczema and persistent ulceration at 60 percent; and massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest at 100 percent.
Common questions about Post-Phlebitic Syndrome
- Is Post-Phlebitic Syndrome a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Post-Phlebitic Syndrome under VASRD diagnostic code 7121 (Cardiovascular System). DC 7121 covers post-phlebitic syndrome of any etiology — lasting venous disease in a limb, whatever caused it. All of the code's criteria sit under one heading: the findings must be attributed to venous disease. What th…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome?
- Possible VA ratings for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome are 100%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 100%: Massive, hard swelling with constant pain even at rest; 60%: Persistent swelling or hardening under the skin, with discoloration or eczema, and ulcers that do not heal; 40%: Persistent swelling plus skin discoloration or…
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome at around 40%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 8,800 veterans are service-connected for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome.
- What evidence helps prove Post-Phlebitic Syndrome for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Post-Phlebitic Syndrome claim includes: Examination notes describing the edema in the terms the bands use — intermittent or persistent, and how far elevation of the extremity relieves it.; Wound-care or dermatology records documenting ulceration and whether it is intermittent or persistent.; Reco…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Post-Phlebitic Syndrome?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Post-Phlebitic Syndrome: Filing this as an arterial or circulation claim. DC 7121 evaluates venous disease findings; the ankle/brachial index, ankle pressure, toe pressure, and transcutaneous oxygen tension measures belong to peripheral arterial disease under DC 7114, not to this code.;…
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.104 — Schedule of ratings — cardiovascular system (Diagnostic Code 7121)
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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