VASRD 7543 · Genitourinary System
Varicocele/Hydrocele VA Disability Rating
This code covers varicocele and hydrocele together in one schedule entry — a varicocele is a swelling of the veins within the scrotum, and a hydrocele is a collection of fluid in the sac around a testicle. The schedule gives the code a single evaluation, and it is 0 percent. Nothing in the criteria raises that figure, so the evaluation does not turn on pain, size, which side is involved, or whether the condition has been surgically repaired. Where a separate condition has developed and the schedule rates it under its own diagnostic code, that code is where a compensable evaluation would come from.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 0% | Rated 0% — this code has no compensable level. |
How the VA Evaluates Varicocele/Hydrocele
DC 7543 has one row in the schedule — "Varicocele/Hydrocele" — evaluated at 0 percent, and the code carries no notes and no additional levels. There is no severity measure to meet: the criteria do not distinguish an asymptomatic varicocele from a painful one, a unilateral finding from a bilateral one, or a repaired condition from an unrepaired one. Conditions that the schedule rates elsewhere keep their own evaluations rather than being folded into this code — complete atrophy of a testis is rated under DC 7523 at 20 percent for both and 0 percent for one, and removal of a testis under DC 7524 at 30 percent for both and 0 percent for one.
Veterans service-connected
~2,700 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
- •A scrotal ultrasound or other imaging identifying the varicocele or hydrocele and the side involved.
- •Urology records documenting the diagnosis and any treatment, including surgical repair.
- •Service treatment records or a provider's opinion addressing how the condition arose, since the claim rests on service connection rather than on a severity level.
- •Documentation of any separately diagnosed condition, which would be evaluated under its own diagnostic code rather than through this one.
Strategy Tips
- •Have the record name which condition was found — varicocele, hydrocele, or both — and on which side, since the two are grouped under one code but are separate findings.
- •Because service connection rather than severity is what this claim turns on, put the effort into records that address how the condition arose rather than into grading its symptoms.
- •Where another condition has been separately diagnosed, make sure it is documented in its own right, since the schedule evaluates such conditions under their own diagnostic codes — DC 7523 for complete testicular atrophy and DC 7524 for removal of a testis, for example.
- •Keep surgical and follow-up records in the file even though repair does not change this code's evaluation, since they document the course of the condition and anything separately ratable that followed.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •No imaging in the file, leaving the examiner without objective confirmation of a varicocele or a hydrocele.
- •A record noting only "scrotal swelling" without identifying which condition was found, when the schedule entry names varicocele and hydrocele specifically.
- •A separately diagnosed condition mentioned in passing but never worked up or documented in its own right, when the schedule evaluates such conditions under their own diagnostic codes.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Expecting a compensable percentage from this code, when the schedule assigns varicocele/hydrocele a single 0 percent evaluation.
- •Filing a hydrocele as though it needed a different code — the schedule groups varicocele and hydrocele in the same entry at DC 7543.
- •Leaving separately diagnosed conditions off the claim, since they carry their own evaluations under their own diagnostic codes and are not reached through this one.
Onset Patterns
- •Hydrocele and varicocele share a single schedule entry, so a claim for either one is evaluated here rather than under a code of its own.
- •The schedule assigns the same single evaluation however and whenever the condition was found, so what the record needs to establish is the diagnosis and its connection to service rather than a progression over time.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Varicocele/Hydrocele. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Infertility
Testicular atrophy
Low testosterone
Common questions about Varicocele/Hydrocele
- Is Varicocele/Hydrocele a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Varicocele/Hydrocele under VASRD diagnostic code 7543 (Genitourinary System). This code covers varicocele and hydrocele together in one schedule entry — a varicocele is a swelling of the veins within the scrotum, and a hydrocele is a collection of fluid in the sac around a testicle. The schedule give…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Varicocele/Hydrocele?
- Possible VA ratings for Varicocele/Hydrocele are 0%. Examples: 0%: Rated 0% — this code has no compensable level..
- What evidence helps prove Varicocele/Hydrocele for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Varicocele/Hydrocele claim includes: A scrotal ultrasound or other imaging identifying the varicocele or hydrocele and the side involved.; Urology records documenting the diagnosis and any treatment, including surgical repair.; Service treatment records or a provider's opinion addressing how the…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Varicocele/Hydrocele?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Varicocele/Hydrocele: Expecting a compensable percentage from this code, when the schedule assigns varicocele/hydrocele a single 0 percent evaluation.; Filing a hydrocele as though it needed a different code — the schedule groups varicocele and hydrocele in the same entry at DC 7543.; L…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Varicocele/Hydrocele?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Varicocele/Hydrocele include: Infertility, Testicular atrophy, Low testosterone. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.115b — Schedule of ratings — genitourinary system (Diagnostic Code 7543)
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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