Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6826Desquamative interstitial pneumonitis

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.97. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 100%

    Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) less than 50-percent predicted, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation, or; cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy

  2. 60%

    FVC of 50- to 64-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation

  3. 30%

    FVC of 65- to 74-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 56- to 65-percent predicted

  4. 10%

    FVC of 75- to 80-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 66- to 80-percent predicted

How it is applied

General rating formula

General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease (diagnostic codes 6825 through 6833)

Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonitis (VA Diagnostic Code 6826)

Understanding This Condition and How the VA Rates It

Desquamative interstitial pneumonitis is a respiratory condition rated by the VA under Diagnostic Code 6826, part of the Respiratory System category found in 38 CFR § 4.97.

The VA evaluates this condition using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease. This means your disability rating is based on measurable results from pulmonary function testing and related clinical findings—not on the diagnosis alone.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following ratings based on how your lung function measures against established thresholds. A higher rating reflects greater impairment.

100% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) less than 50-percent predicted, or
  • Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or
  • Maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation, or
  • Cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or
  • Requires outpatient oxygen therapy

60% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 50- to 64-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or
  • Maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation

30% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 65- to 74-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 56- to 65-percent predicted

10% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 75- to 80-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 66- to 80-percent predicted

What the VA Looks For

When rating desquamative interstitial pneumonitis, the VA focuses on objective measures of lung function and related clinical findings, including:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) as a percentage of predicted value
  • Diffusion Capacity (DLCO (SB)) as a percentage of predicted value
  • Maximum exercise capacity, measured in ml/kg/min of oxygen consumption, along with any cardiorespiratory limitation
  • The presence of cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension
  • Whether the condition requires outpatient oxygen therapy

Because the rating levels use "or" criteria, meeting the threshold for a single measurement can qualify you for that rating level. The VA reviews the full picture of your test results and clinical findings when assigning a rating.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6826. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6826 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Respiratory System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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