Secondary Condition Claim · VASRD 7326
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).
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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.
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.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 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.
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.
Primary condition
Full Tuberculous Peritonitis (Abdominal Tuberculosis) guide
Secondary condition
Full Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chronic Enterocolitis) guide
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.
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