VASRD 7821 · Autoimmune Disorders
Scleroderma VA Disability Rating
The schedule has no diagnostic code of its own titled scleroderma. DC 7821 covers "cutaneous manifestations of collagen-vascular diseases not listed elsewhere," and names scleroderma, calcinosis cutis, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and dermatomyositis inside that title. What this code evaluates is the skin involvement, under the General Rating Formula for the Skin: how much of the body or of the exposed areas the characteristic lesions cover, and how much systemic therapy the condition has required over the past 12 months.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 60% | More than 40 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, or systemic drugs needed constantly or near-constantly over the past year |
| 30% | 20 to 40 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, or six weeks or more of systemic therapy in the past year |
| 10% | At least 5 but less than 20 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, or under six weeks of systemic therapy in the past year |
| 0% | Under 5 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, with nothing beyond topical treatment needed |
How the VA Evaluates Scleroderma
DC 7821 is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for the Skin. At 60, 30, and 10 percent the formula gives two independent routes — the extent of the characteristic lesions, or the systemic therapy required over the past 12-month period — and each of those rows is written "At least one of the following," so meeting either route earns the tier. 60 percent: characteristic lesions involving more than 40 percent of the entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas; or constant or near-constant systemic therapy, including but not limited to corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs, over the past 12 months. 30 percent: lesions involving 20 to 40 percent of the entire body or of exposed areas; or systemic therapy for a total of 6 weeks or more, but not constantly, in that period. 10 percent: lesions involving at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of the entire body or of exposed areas; or intermittent systemic therapy for a total of less than 6 weeks. The 0 percent row is the one row written conjunctively: it takes no more than topical therapy over the past 12-month period together with characteristic lesions involving less than 5 percent of the entire body or of exposed areas. The formula adds one alternative — "Or rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800) or scars (DCs 7801, 7802, 7804, or 7805), depending upon the predominant disability" — and withholds that instruction only from DC 7824, not from this code. Organ involvement is not part of these criteria: DC 7821's subject is the cutaneous manifestation, and both routes to every compensable tier measure the skin picture and the treatment it required.
Approval outlook
Moderate – stronger with systemic involvement or lung/renal symptoms.
Veterans service-connected
~4,000 veterans
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
- •Dermatology notes stating the percentage of the entire body and the percentage of exposed areas affected — the two measurements every tier of the formula uses.
- •A 12-month medication history showing which systemic drugs were required and for how long, since duration over the past 12-month period is the formula's second route to each tier.
- •Photographs of the lesions with the affected percentages recorded, from more than one visit rather than a single one, since the extent of the lesions is the formula's other route.
- •Where disfigurement or scarring predominates, an exam addressing DC 7800's characteristics of disfigurement or the scar measurements DCs 7801, 7802, and 7804 use, since the formula allows rating under those codes instead.
Strategy Tips
- •Get two figures recorded at each dermatology visit: the percentage of the entire body affected and the percentage of exposed areas affected. Both appear in every tier of the formula, and a record carrying neither cannot be placed on the ladder.
- •Systemic therapy is a route to a tier on its own. The formula names corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, and other immunosuppressive drugs, and asks how long they were required over the past 12-month period — constantly or near-constantly, 6 weeks or more, or less than 6 weeks — so the pharmacy record can carry as much weight as the skin exam.
- •The 12-month window belongs to the therapy route, which is answered by a full year of treatment records rather than by a current prescription list. The lesion percentages are the other route, and they are what the examination itself measures.
- •Where disfigurement or scarring is the predominant disability rather than active lesions, the formula allows rating instead under DC 7800 for the head, face, or neck, or under DCs 7801, 7802, 7804, or 7805.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •An exam that describes the skin without giving either percentage figure. Every tier of the General Rating Formula for the Skin is written in percentages of the entire body or of exposed areas.
- •Systemic therapy captured as a current medication list only, with nothing about how long it was required over the past 12-month period — constant or near-constant, 6 weeks or more, or less than 6 weeks is what separates 60, 30, and 10 percent.
- •A single visit standing in for the whole record. The lesion percentages are what the examination measures and the therapy route is measured across the past 12-month period, so one note on its own establishes neither.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Building the claim on organ involvement under this code. DC 7821 rates the cutaneous manifestations, and its criteria measure skin area and systemic therapy — no tier here turns on lung, esophageal, or kidney findings. Organ involvement is evaluated under the codes that cover it: DC 7204's note reaches "impairment of the esophagus caused by systemic conditions such as ... scleroderma," and DC 7539's note reaches renal involvement caused by systemic diseases including scleroderma.
- •Submitting an autoimmune antibody panel as the core evidence. Serology may support the diagnosis, but no tier in the formula turns on a lab value.
- •Leaving the treatment history out. Constant or near-constant systemic therapy over the past 12 months meets the 60 percent criterion on its own, independently of how much of the body is involved.
Onset Patterns
- •DC 7821 groups scleroderma with calcinosis cutis, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and dermatomyositis as cutaneous manifestations of collagen-vascular diseases not listed elsewhere, so the history this code is rated on begins when the skin involvement is documented — and the formula then measures the extent of the lesions together with the systemic therapy required over the past 12-month period.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Scleroderma. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Common questions about Scleroderma
- Is Scleroderma a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Scleroderma under VASRD diagnostic code 7821 (Autoimmune Disorders). The schedule has no diagnostic code of its own titled scleroderma. DC 7821 covers "cutaneous manifestations of collagen-vascular diseases not listed elsewhere," and names scleroderma, calcinosis cutis, subacute cutaneous lupus eryth…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Scleroderma?
- Possible VA ratings for Scleroderma are 60%, 30%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 60%: More than 40 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, or systemic drugs needed constantly or near-constantly over the past year; 30%: 20 to 40 percent of the body or of exposed areas involved, or six weeks or more of systemic therapy in…
- What evidence helps prove Scleroderma for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Scleroderma claim includes: Dermatology notes stating the percentage of the entire body and the percentage of exposed areas affected — the two measurements every tier of the formula uses.; A 12-month medication history showing which systemic drugs were required and for how long, since duration ov…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Scleroderma?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Scleroderma: Building the claim on organ involvement under this code. DC 7821 rates the cutaneous manifestations, and its criteria measure skin area and systemic therapy — no tier here turns on lung, esophageal, or kidney findings. Organ involvement is evaluated under the codes that cov…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Scleroderma?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Scleroderma include: Pulmonary Fibrosis, GERD. 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 7821)
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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