38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.79
Post-chiasmal disorders — VA Diagnostic Code 6046
Eye
Diagnostic code
6046
38 CFR § 4.79 lists Diagnostic Code 6046 as “Post-chiasmal disorders” in the table captioned “Diseases of the Eye.” The title does not end with a period. The rating cell is empty. DC 6046 does not print an “Evaluate under” sentence of its own. The same table opens with the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Post-chiasmal disorders.” with a period. The hyphen in “Post-chiasmal” is in both the rating table and the index.
Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.79 source note prints 73 FR 66550, Nov. 10, 2008, as amended at 83 FR 15321, Apr. 10, 2018. The § 4.75 source note prints 73 FR 66549, Nov. 10, 2008.
The rating criteria at each level
6046 Post-chiasmal disorders — the row this code prints
Rating %: —
Criteria (verbatim). Post-chiasmal disorders
| Rating % | Criteria (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| — | Post-chiasmal disorders |
General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye — incapacitating episodes, the block that opens this table
Rating %: 60
Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
Rating %: 40
Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
Rating %: 20
Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
Rating %: 10
Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
| Rating % | Criteria (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| 60 | With documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months |
| 40 | With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months |
| 20 | With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months |
| 10 | With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months |
The DC 6046 rating cell is empty. The § 4.79 title does not end with a period. Appendix B adds a period.
The title is two words joined by a hyphen. It does not use parentheses.
The formula’s opening sentence does not end with a period. It reads: “Evaluate on the basis of either visual impairment due to the particular condition or on incapacitating episodes, whichever results in a higher evaluation”
Note (1) does not end with a period. It reads: For the purposes of evaluation under 38 CFR 4.79, an incapacitating episode is an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes
Note (2) does not end with a period. It reads: Examples of treatment may include but are not limited to: Systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents; intravitreal or periocular injections; laser treatments; or other surgical interventions
Note (3) does not end with a period. It reads: For the purposes of evaluating visual impairment due to the particular condition, refer to 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and to § 4.79, diagnostic codes 6061-6091
38 CFR § 4.75(b) requires examination by a licensed optometrist or a licensed ophthalmologist for visual impairment, and it says the examiner must identify the disease, injury, or other pathologic process responsible for any visual impairment found. Examinations of visual fields or muscle function will be conducted only when there is a medical indication of disease or injury that may be associated with visual field defect or impaired muscle function. Unless medically contraindicated, the fundus must be examined with the claimant's pupils dilated. Paragraph (f) says that when evaluating visual impairment, refer to 38 CFR 3.350. Paragraph (f) does not state a payment amount. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that in every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met. DC 6046 does not print a 0 percent line of its own. 38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided. The same section says the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses are to be avoided.
DC 6042 is retinal dystrophy, and its title uses parentheses. Its rating cell is also empty. DC 6040 is “Diabetic retinopathy.” DC 6006 is “Retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified.” DC 6011 prints 10 percent for localized retinal scars, atrophy, or irregularities that are centrally located and that result in an irregular, duplicated, enlarged, or diminished image. DC 6046 does not print that 10 percent line. DC 6080 is the visual-field table that begins after the central-acuity codes. DC 6046 is the last Diseases of the Eye row. The next heading in the section is Impairment of Central Visual Acuity.
This page does not reprint diagnostic codes 6061-6091. Note (3) refers to them for visual impairment. The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “chiasm” or “post-chiasmal.” It does not assign DC 6046.
Source: 38 CFR § 4.79, Diagnostic Code 6046 and the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.
What the words mean in your records
The hyphen is part of the title
The schedule prints “Post-chiasmal disorders” as one title. Appendix B uses the same hyphen and adds a period.
The index adds a period
Appendix B prints “Post-chiasmal disorders.” The rating table does not end the title with a period.
No percentage on the code itself
The rating cell is empty. The incapacitating-episode lines that open the Diseases of the Eye table are 60, 40, 20, and 10. Visual impairment is the other branch of that formula.
Evidence that speaks to each level
60, 40, 20, or 10
What the rater needs to see. Documented incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months, at the visit counts the formula prints: 7 or more, at least 5 but less than 7, at least 3 but less than 5, or at least 1 but less than 3.
Where that usually lives. The treatment-visit record Note (1) describes: a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes.
Visual impairment
What the rater needs to see. The visual impairment Note (3) refers to 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and diagnostic codes 6061-6091, when that evaluation is the one compared with incapacitating episodes.
Where that usually lives. The eye examination § 4.75(b) requires.
VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Eye Conditions” under Ophthalmological. The file is Eye Conditions.
The exam form
DC 6046 prints a title and no percentage of its own. This page does not say the eye form replaces the general formula.
Related codes and how they interact
The neighboring empty cells use different titles.
DC 6042 names retinal dystrophy and the conditions in its parentheses. DC 6040 says diabetic retinopathy. DC 6046 says post-chiasmal disorders. Each rating cell is empty. The 10 percent localized-scar line is on DC 6011.
Secondary conditions and presumptions
Section 3.309 does not contain “chiasm” or “post-chiasmal.” This page does not add DC 6046 to a presumptive row.
A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.
Short answers
How does VA rate post-chiasmal disorders under DC 6046?
Under 38 CFR § 4.79, Diagnostic Code 6046 prints the title “Post-chiasmal disorders” and an empty rating cell. The Diseases of the Eye table opens with the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye: visual impairment or incapacitating episodes, whichever results in a higher evaluation. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.
Which code uses parentheses for retinal dystrophy?
DC 6042. That title includes retinitis pigmentosa and the macular-degeneration words in parentheses. DC 6046 does not use parentheses. Education only.
FAQ
Does DC 6046 print its own percentage?
The title is “Post-chiasmal disorders.” The rating cell is empty. The incapacitating-episode lines that open the table are 60, 40, 20, and 10. Education only.
Does the title end with a period?
The § 4.79 title does not end with a period. Appendix B prints “Post-chiasmal disorders.”
Is this a visual-field code?
DC 6046 is the last Diseases of the Eye row. The next heading is Impairment of Central Visual Acuity. Visual field defects are DC 6080, in the later table captioned “Ratings for Impairment of Visual Fields.”
Next steps
- Read the decision for DC 6046 and whether it used incapacitating episodes or visual impairment.
- The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
- Other eye codes are on the eye diagnostic-code index.
Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.
Other codes in this body system
Nearby catalog entries in Eye, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Eye codes
- DC 6031Dacryocystitis
- DC 6032Eyelids, loss of portion
- DC 6033Lens, crystalline, dislocation
- DC 6034Pterygium
- DC 6035Keratoconus
- DC 6036Status post corneal transplant
- DC 6040Diabetic retinopathy
- DC 6042Retinal dystrophy (including retinitis pigmentosa, wet or dry macular degeneration, early-onset macular degeneration, rod and/or cone dystrophy)
- DC 6061Anatomical loss both eyes
- DC 6062Blindness, both eyes, only light perception
- DC 6063Anatomical loss of one eye, other eye 5/200 (1.5/60)
- DC 6064Other Eye 10 200 3 60
- DC 6064Other Eye 15 200 4 5 60
- DC 6064Other Eye 20 200 6 60
- DC 6065Other Eye 20 100 6 30
- DC 6065Other Eye 20 50 6 15
Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.
Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 6046 • va.gov
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.