38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.118

Benign skin neoplasms — VA Diagnostic Code 7819

Skin

Diagnostic code

7819

Start free worksheet Get the Founding Pass — $9.99/month

38 CFR § 4.118 lists Diagnostic Code 7819 as “Benign skin neoplasms:”. The only instruction on that row is to rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function. The rating column is blank. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Benign skin neoplasms.”

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 § 4.118 source note prints 67 FR 49596, July 31, 2002; 67 FR 58448, 58449, Sept. 16, 2002; 73 FR 54710, Oct. 23, 2008; 77 FR 2910, Jan. 20, 2012; 83 FR 32597, July 13, 2018; 83 FR 38663, Aug. 7, 2018.

The rating criteria at each level

7819 Benign skin neoplasms — the row this code prints

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
—	Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function

The rating column is blank. DC 7819 does not print 10, 30, 60, or 100 on its own row.

The rate-as line spells “DC's” with an apostrophe. It names DC 7803. The 2026-10-01 headings in § 4.118 include DC 7800, DC 7801, DC 7802, DC 7804, and DC 7805. They do not include a heading for DC 7803. This page does not supply criteria for a code the section does not head.

DC 7819 does not say “Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin.” The next code, DC 7820, infections of the skin not listed elsewhere, does say that. DC 7818 is “Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma).” Its note assigns 100 percent when a skin malignancy requires therapy comparable to that used for systemic malignancies. That note is not printed under DC 7819. 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 7819 does not print a 0 percent line.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7819, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

The three directions

The cell names disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars under the listed codes, or impairment of function. It does not say to use all three at once, and it does not say which one controls when more than one could apply.

DC 7803 is named and not headed

DC 7800, DC 7801, DC 7802, DC 7804, and DC 7805 are headings in the same section. DC 7803 is in the DC 7819 list and is not one of those headings.

Not the malignant-skin note

The 100 percent treatment note sits under DC 7818. DC 7819’s cell does not repeat it. Benign skin neoplasms are not the DC 7818 title.

Evidence that speaks to each level

The DC 7819 row

What the rater needs to see. A diagnosis placed on this code, and then the disfigurement, scar, or functional finding the rate-as line uses.

Where that usually lives. The dermatology record and the examination of the affected skin.

The code the rate-as line names

What the rater needs to see. The findings of DC 7800, DC 7801, DC 7802, DC 7804, DC 7805, or the impairment of function, whichever line is used. DC 7803 has no heading in this section.

Where that usually lives. The same examination. The scar and disfigurement criteria live under those other codes.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
The DC 7819 row	A diagnosis placed on this code, and then the disfigurement, scar, or functional finding the rate-as line uses.	The dermatology record and the examination of the affected skin.
The code the rate-as line names	The findings of DC 7800, DC 7801, DC 7802, DC 7804, DC 7805, or the impairment of function, whichever line is used. DC 7803 has no heading in this section.	The same examination. The scar and disfigurement criteria live under those other codes.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Skin Diseases” and, separately, “Scars,” under Dermatological. The files are Skin Diseases and Scars.

The exam form

DC 7819 says to rate as disfigurement, scars, or impairment of function. This page does not say either form replaces that instruction.

Related codes and how they interact

Malignant skin neoplasms are DC 7818.

That code has the systemic-therapy note. DC 7819 does not. The public page for DC 7818 is not this page.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “benign skin.” DC 7819 is not a named row in that section.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for benign skin neoplasms?

Under 38 CFR § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7819 does not print its own percentage. It says to rate as DC 7800, as the listed scar codes, or as impairment of function. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Does the list include a code the section does not head?

Yes. The cell names DC 7803. The 2026-10-01 headings in § 4.118 do not include DC 7803.

FAQ

How does VA rate benign skin neoplasms under DC 7819?

The rating column is blank. The cell says to rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function. Education only.

Does DC 7819 use the General Rating Formula for the Skin?

The DC 7819 cell does not say that. DC 7820, the next code, says to evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin.

Where is the 100 percent skin-malignancy note?

It is under DC 7818, malignant skin neoplasms other than malignant melanoma. It is not printed on DC 7819.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 7819 and which disfigurement, scar, or function code 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 skin codes are on the skin 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 Skin, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Skin codes

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

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 7819 • 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.