VA Diagnostic Code 8626Neuritis.
Rated from 10% to 20% under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.
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What each rating requires
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- 20%
Incomplete: Moderate
- 10%
Incomplete: Mild
General rating formula
Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8526)
Notes on this code
These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.
- Rated by analogy to Paralysis of: (DC 8526). Per § 4.123, neuritis not characterized by organic changes (loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain, at times excruciating) is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis; with such organic changes it may be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis.
Neuritis (Diagnostic Code 8626)
Understanding Neuritis and How the VA Rates It
Body System: Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders Regulation: 38 CFR § 4.124a — Diagnostic Code 8626
What This Condition Involves
Neuritis is a neurological condition rated under the VA's schedule for neurological conditions and convulsive disorders. Under Diagnostic Code 8626, neuritis is not rated on its own separate scale — instead, it is rated by analogy to Paralysis of (Diagnostic Code 8526).
Per § 4.123, the way neuritis is rated depends on whether it involves certain organic changes:
- Neuritis without organic changes — meaning it is not characterized by loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain (at times excruciating) — is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Neuritis with those organic changes may be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis.
Available Rating Levels
The VA uses the following rating levels for this condition:
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 20% | Incomplete paralysis — Moderate |
| 10% | Incomplete paralysis — Mild |
What the VA Looks For
When evaluating neuritis under this diagnostic code, the VA considers:
- The degree of incomplete paralysis — whether the condition presents as mild or moderate, which maps to the rating levels above.
- The presence or absence of organic changes, including:
- Loss of reflexes
- Muscle atrophy
- Sensory disturbances
- Constant pain, at times excruciating
The presence of these organic changes affects the ceiling for how the condition can be rated: without them, the maximum is moderate incomplete paralysis; with them, the rating may reach severe incomplete paralysis. Because Diagnostic Code 8626 is rated by analogy to Diagnostic Code 8526 (Paralysis of), the criteria and framework from that code guide the evaluation.
This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.124a. Individual evaluations depend on the specific medical evidence in each case.
These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8626. The official version is the one that governs your rating.
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