38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.97

Granulomatous rhinitis — VA Diagnostic Code 6524

ENT / airway

Diagnostic code

6524

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38 CFR § 4.97 lists Diagnostic Code 6524 as “Granulomatous rhinitis:”. Two lines are printed: 100 and 20. The 100 line is “Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma.” The 20 line is “Other types of granulomatous infection.” The catalog slug is dc-6524-granulomatous-rhinitis.

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was last amended on 2026-08-27. On 2026-10-05 the titles list reports up to date as of 2026-10-02, and the 2026-10-02 XML for the sections quoted here matches the 2026-10-01 XML. Section 4.97 source note: [61 FR 46728, Sept. 5, 1996, as amended at 71 FR 28586, May 17, 2006].

The rating criteria at each level

Granulomatous rhinitis — DC 6524

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma

Rating %: 20

Criteria (verbatim). Other types of granulomatous infection

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma
20	Other types of granulomatous infection

The title ends with a colon. Neither criteria cell ends with a period. The 100 line uses an apostrophe in “Wegener's” and a comma between the two names. It does not say “or.”

DC 6524 does not print 0, 10, 30, 50, or 60. It does not use the word “polyps.”

The row above, DC 6523, is bacterial rhinitis: rhinoscleroma at 50, and permanent hypertrophy of turbinates with the obstruction findings at 10. DC 6522 is allergic or vasomotor rhinitis: with polyps at 30, and without polyps but with the obstruction findings at 10.

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.

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.

DC 6521 is injuries to the pharynx. Its 50 line includes “granulomatous disease” as one cause of absence of the soft palate. That phrase is on DC 6521. It is not the DC 6524 title. 38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided, and that the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses is to be avoided.

38 CFR § 4.96(a) bars combining ratings under diagnostic codes 6600 through 6817 and 6822 through 6847. DC 6524 is not in that list.

38 CFR § 3.320(a)(2)(ii) says “Rhinitis.” It does not assign a diagnostic code and does not say “granulomatous.” Paragraph (a)(2)(iii) says “Sinusitis, to include rhinosinusitis.” Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis is DC 6522. The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “granulomatous,” “rhinitis,” or “6524.” The presumptive list on this site leaves the diagnostic code blank for “Granulomatous disease,” with a note that the specific diagnostic code depends on the diagnosed disease. This page does not fill in DC 6524 on that row.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6524, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01. The source note prints [61 FR 46728, Sept. 5, 1996, as amended at 71 FR 28586, May 17, 2006].

What the words mean in your records

Two names share the 100 line

“Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma” is one cell at 100. The comma is in the cell. The cell does not say “or” between the names.

Other infection is 20

“Other types of granulomatous infection” is 20. The line does not say “other types of rhinitis.”

Three rhinitis codes, three different pairs

DC 6522 is 30 and 10. DC 6523 is 50 and 10. DC 6524 is 100 and 20. The obstruction sentence used on DC 6522 and DC 6523 is not printed on DC 6524.

Evidence that speaks to each level

The 100 line

What the rater needs to see. A diagnosis the cell names: Wegener's granulomatosis, or lethal midline granuloma.

Where that usually lives. The biopsy or specialist note that uses one of those names.

The 20 line

What the rater needs to see. Another type of granulomatous infection. The cell does not list the types.

Where that usually lives. The infectious-disease or pathology note naming the infection.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
The 100 line	A diagnosis the cell names: Wegener's granulomatosis, or lethal midline granuloma.	The biopsy or specialist note that uses one of those names.
The 20 line	Another type of granulomatous infection. The cell does not list the types.	The infectious-disease or pathology note naming the infection.

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

The exam form

DC 6524 prints two lines, 100 and 20. This page does not say the nose form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Allergic rhinitis is a different code

DC 6522 is allergic or vasomotor rhinitis, 30 with polyps and 10 with the obstruction findings. Section 3.320(a)(2)(ii) says “Rhinitis.” and does not assign DC 6524. DC 6523 is bacterial rhinitis.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309 does not contain “granulomatous” or “6524.” Section 3.320(a)(2)(ii) says “Rhinitis.” and does not assign this code. This page does not add DC 6524 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 granulomatous rhinitis under DC 6524?

Under 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6524 rates Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma, at 100 percent, and other types of granulomatous infection at 20 percent. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Where is lethal midline granuloma?

In the same 100 percent cell as Wegener's granulomatosis, separated by a comma. It is not a separate percentage. Education only.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 6524 print?

100 for Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma, and 20 for other types of granulomatous infection. There is no 10, 30, or 50 line on this code. Education only.

Does the 100 line say “or”?

No. The cell is “Wegener's granulomatosis, lethal midline granuloma.” The comma is the separator. The apostrophe is in Wegener's.

Is granulomatous rhinitis the rhinitis presumption?

Section 3.320(a)(2)(ii) says “Rhinitis.” It does not assign DC 6524 and does not say “granulomatous.” DC 6522 is allergic or vasomotor rhinitis. This page does not move that presumption onto DC 6524.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 6524 and whether the diagnosis named on the 100 line or the 20 line was used.
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 nose and throat codes are on the ENT / airway 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 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 6524 • 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.