Secondary Condition Claim · VASRD 7326

Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) Secondary to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)

A condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability can be granted its own service connection as a secondary condition under 38 CFR § 3.310. Here's how that works for Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) when it develops after Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis).

Why Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) Is Linked to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)

Poor absorption

Primary condition · VASRD 7331

Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)

Tuberculous peritonitis is tuberculosis infection of the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal cavity. DC 7331 prints a single evaluation: active tuberculous peritonitis is rated 100 percent. The code's title covers the condition "active or inactive", but inactive disease carries no percentage here — the entry reads "Inactive: See §§ 4.88b and 4.89", sending that part of the evaluation outside DC 7331.

Secondary condition · VASRD 7326

Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis)

Crohn's disease is chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. DC 7326 covers Crohn's disease and the undifferentiated form of inflammatory bowel disease, and the schedule's index also lists chronic enterocolitis under this code. Note (3) allows the inflammation to involve the small bowel (ileitis), the large bowel (colitis), or any component of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. The percentage follows how the disease is being managed — oral or topical agents, immunosuppressants or biologic agents, or treatment it no longer responds to — together with daily diarrhea episodes, recurrent abdominal pain, and signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia, or anemia.

Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) VA Rating Tiers

The VA rates Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) the same way whether it's claimed directly or as secondary to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) — severity of Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) itself determines the percentage.

RatingCriteria
100%Severe IBD not controlled by treatment, with yearly hospital stays or inability to work.
60%Moderate IBD needing biologics or immunosuppressants, with 4-5 bouts of diarrhea a day.
30%Mild to moderate IBD on oral or topical medicine, with up to 3 bouts of diarrhea a day.
10%Minimal to mild IBD on oral or topical medicine, with no signs of body-wide illness.

Example combined rating

100% Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) + 60% Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) = 100%

The VA combines ratings with Table I of 38 CFR 4.25, not simple addition — 100% and 60% combine to 100%, not 160%. These figures are illustrative; your actual rating for each condition depends on your own evaluation.

Email me this Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) secondary guide

Get the rating criteria for Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis), the evidence a secondary claim needs, and why it is linked to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) — delivered to your inbox.

We’ll email what you asked for, plus occasional Vetrify updates and practical VA disability education. Unsubscribe anytime with the one-click link in every email.

Evidence for a Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) Secondary Claim

  • Endoscopy or radiologic study results confirming the diagnosis, which Note (2) requires.
  • Gastroenterology notes naming the current treatment by class — oral, topical, immunosuppressant, or biologic — since the tiers are drawn on that line.
  • Treatment records carrying daily counts of diarrhea episodes, and of rectal bleeding episodes where they occur.
  • Findings of fever, tachycardia, or anemia, the signs of toxicity the 30 and 60 percent levels name.
  • Hospital admission records for any inpatient stay for the disease.
  • Operative and pathology records for any colectomy or colostomy, which Note (1) makes relevant to a DC 7329 comparison.

Common questions about Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) secondary to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)

Can Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) be service-connected as secondary to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)?
Yes. Under 38 CFR § 3.310, a condition that is caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability can be granted secondary service connection. Poor absorption You'll need a current Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) diagnosis and a medical nexus opinion linking it to yo…
What VA rating can I get for Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) as a secondary condition?
Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) is rated under VASRD diagnostic code 7326 using the same criteria whether it's a direct or secondary claim: possible ratings are 100%, 60%, 30%, 10%. The rating depends on the severity of Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Ente…
How does a secondary Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) claim affect my combined VA rating?
The VA doesn't add ratings together. Using the official combined-ratings formula (38 CFR 4.25): a 100% rating for Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) combined with a 60% rating for Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) (example figures) produces a combined rating of 100%,…
What evidence do I need to service-connect Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) as secondary to Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis)?
Strong evidence for the underlying Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) diagnosis includes: Endoscopy or radiologic study results confirming the diagnosis, which Note (2) requires.; Gastroenterology notes naming the current treatment by class — oral, topical, immunosuppressant, or bio…

Primary condition

Full Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) guide

Secondary condition

Full Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) guide

Estimate your combined rating

See how Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) and Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) combine with the rest of your service-connected conditions using the official VA combined-ratings formula.

Open the calculator
VA Calc: Disability Pay app icon

VA Calc: Disability Pay

Combine your ratings & see monthly pay on your iPhone · Works offline

Download on theApp Store