38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.97

Sinusitis, frontal, chronic — VA Diagnostic Code 6512

ENT / airway

Diagnostic code

6512

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38 CFR § 4.97 lists Diagnostic Code 6512 as “Sinusitis, frontal, chronic.” The name ends with a period. The rating cell is empty. Diagnostic codes 6510 through 6514 are named, and then the schedule prints “General Rating Formula for Sinusitis (DC's 6510 through 6514):”. The apostrophe in “DC's” is in the caption. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Sinusitis, frontal, chronic.”

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 § 4.97 source note prints 61 FR 46728, Sept. 5, 1996, as amended at 71 FR 28586, May 17, 2006.

The rating criteria at each level

General Rating Formula for Sinusitis (DC's 6510 through 6514)

Rating %: 50

Criteria (verbatim). Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or; near constant sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain and tenderness of affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries

Rating %: 30

Criteria (verbatim). Three or more incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). One or two incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting

Rating %: 0

Criteria (verbatim). Detected by X-ray only

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
50	Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or; near constant sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain and tenderness of affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries
30	Three or more incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting
10	One or two incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting
0	Detected by X-ray only

Note: An incapacitating episode of sinusitis means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician.

The 50 percent line says “pain and tenderness of affected sinus,” without a comma before “and.” The 30 and 10 percent lines say “headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting,” with a comma before “and.”

DC 6512 does not print its own percentages. The lines above are the formula the caption assigns to DC's 6510 through 6514.

DC 6510 is pansinusitis, DC 6511 is ethmoid, DC 6512 is frontal, DC 6513 is maxillary, and DC 6514 is sphenoid. Each of those names ends with a period and has an empty rating cell. The formula caption follows the five names. 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. The 0 percent line is printed in the formula. 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 6510 is chronic pansinusitis. The public page is the sinusitis guide. DC 6511 is chronic ethmoid sinusitis. DC 6513 is chronic maxillary sinusitis. DC 6514 is chronic sphenoid sinusitis. All four, with DC 6512, are inside the formula caption.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6512 and the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

DC's, with an apostrophe

The caption prints “General Rating Formula for Sinusitis (DC's 6510 through 6514):”. The apostrophe is in the 2026-10-01 text.

Incapacitating episode

The note defines it as one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician. The 30 and 10 percent lines also describe prolonged antibiotic treatment lasting four to six weeks.

Detected by X-ray only

That is the entire 0 percent line. It does not end with a period.

Evidence that speaks to each level

What the rater needs to see. Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near constant sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain and tenderness of the affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries.

Where that usually lives. Operative reports and treatment notes that describe the surgeries, osteomyelitis, headaches, pain, tenderness, and purulent discharge or crusting.

30 or 10

What the rater needs to see. The episode count in that line, including whether an incapacitating episode required bed rest and treatment by a physician, and whether antibiotic treatment lasted four to six weeks.

Where that usually lives. Physician treatment notes and the antibiotic dates.

0 — X-ray only

What the rater needs to see. The printed 0 percent line is “Detected by X-ray only.”

Where that usually lives. Imaging without the episode findings in the higher lines.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
50	Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near constant sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain and tenderness of the affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries.	Operative reports and treatment notes that describe the surgeries, osteomyelitis, headaches, pain, tenderness, and purulent discharge or crusting.
30 or 10	The episode count in that line, including whether an incapacitating episode required bed rest and treatment by a physician, and whether antibiotic treatment lasted four to six weeks.	Physician treatment notes and the antibiotic dates.
0 — X-ray only	The printed 0 percent line is “Detected by X-ray only.”	Imaging without the episode findings in the higher lines.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Sinusitis, Rhinitis and Other Conditions of the Nose, Throat, Larynx and Pharynx” under Ear, Nose, Throat. The file is Sinusitis, Rhinitis and Other Conditions of the Nose, Throat, Larynx and Pharynx.

The exam form

DC 6512 uses the general sinusitis formula. This page does not say the form replaces that formula.

Related codes and how they interact

Five sinusitis codes share the formula.

The caption names DC's 6510 through 6514. Frontal sinusitis is DC 6512. Maxillary sinusitis is DC 6513. The percentages are the formula, not a second scale printed only under frontal sinusitis.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

38 CFR § 3.320(a)(2) lists “Sinusitis, to include rhinosinusitis” among the chronic diseases associated with exposure to fine particulate matter. That entry does not assign DC 6512. The disease will be service connected if manifested to any degree, including non-compensable, at any time following separation from a qualifying period of service in paragraph (a)(5), except as paragraph (b) provides. Paragraph (b) is the exception paragraph. The catalog’s chronic-sinusitis row is DC 6513, and that row already has a Read guide. This page does not move that row to DC 6512.

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “sinusitis.” 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

What is the VA rating for chronic frontal sinusitis?

Under 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6512 uses the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis: 50, 30, 10, and 0 percent. The note defines an incapacitating episode as one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Where does the chronic-sinusitis presumptive row point?

The catalog row for chronic sinusitis is DC 6513. Section 3.320(a)(2) names “Sinusitis, to include rhinosinusitis” and does not assign DC 6512. This page does not move that row.

FAQ

How does VA rate chronic frontal sinusitis under DC 6512?

DC 6512 uses the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis. The caption says DC's 6510 through 6514. The lines are 50, 30, 10, and 0. The 0 percent line is “Detected by X-ray only.” An incapacitating episode means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician. Education only.

Do the other sinus codes use a different formula?

No. The formula caption says DC's 6510 through 6514. Pansinusitis, ethmoid, frontal, maxillary, and sphenoid sinusitis share these lines.

Does the particulate-matter list assign this code?

Section 3.320(a)(2)(iii) says “Sinusitis, to include rhinosinusitis.” It does not say frontal, and it does not assign DC 6512. The catalog row for chronic sinusitis is DC 6513.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 6512, which formula line it used, and the episode count.
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 respiratory codes are on the respiratory diagnostic-code index. The category page is respiratory conditions.

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 ENT / airway, ordered by diagnostic code number. All ENT / airway codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 6512 • 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.