38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.124a
Tenth (pneumogastric, vagus) cranial nerve paralysis — VA Diagnostic Code 8210
Neurological
Diagnostic code
8210
38 CFR § 4.124a lists the tenth (pneumogastric, vagus) cranial nerve, then Diagnostic Code 8210 as “Paralysis of:”. Complete is 50. Incomplete, severe is 30. Incomplete, moderate is 10. The note depends upon the extent of sensory and motor loss to organs of voice, respiration, pharynx, stomach and heart. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Tenth (pneumogastric, vagus), paralysis.” The catalog slug is dc-8210-tenth-pneumogastric-vagus-paralysis.
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. Section 4.124a source note: 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 40 FR 42540, Sept. 15, 1975; 41 FR 11302, Mar. 18, 1976; 43 FR 45362, Oct. 2, 1978; 54 FR 4282, Jan. 30, 1989; 54 FR 49755, Dec. 1, 1989; 55 FR 154, Jan. 3, 1990; 56 FR 51653, Oct. 15, 1991; 57 FR 24364, June 9, 1992; 70 FR 75399, Dec. 20, 2005; 73 FR 54705, Sept. 23, 2008; 73 FR 69554, Nov. 19, 2008; 76 FR 78824, Dec. 20, 2011; 79 FR 2100, Jan. 13, 2014.
The rating criteria at each level
8210 Paralysis of the tenth (pneumogastric, vagus) cranial nerve
Rating %: 50
Criteria (verbatim). Complete
Rating %: 30
Criteria (verbatim). Incomplete, severe
Rating %: 10
Criteria (verbatim). Incomplete, moderate
| Rating % | Criteria (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| 50 | Complete |
| 30 | Incomplete, severe |
| 10 | Incomplete, moderate |
Note: Dependent upon extent of sensory and motor loss to organs of voice, respiration, pharynx, stomach and heart.
The note ends with a period. In the 2026-10-01 table the word Note is bold and the colon is printed after it, with a space before the colon. The three percentage lines do not end with a period.
The following rows are “8310 Neuritis.” and “8410 Neuralgia.” This page does not move those rows onto DC 8210.
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 § 4.14 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. Disability from lesions of peripheral portions of first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and eighth nerves will be rated under the Organs of Special Sense. The ratings for the cranial nerves are for unilateral involvement; when bilateral, combine but without the bilateral factor. The tenth nerve is not in the special-sense list.
The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “vagus,” “pneumogastric,” or “8210.” This page does not add DC 8210 to a presumptive row.
Source: 38 CFR § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8210, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01. The source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 40 FR 42540, Sept. 15, 1975; 41 FR 11302, Mar. 18, 1976; 43 FR 45362, Oct. 2, 1978; 54 FR 4282, Jan. 30, 1989; 54 FR 49755, Dec. 1, 1989; 55 FR 154, Jan. 3, 1990; 56 FR 51653, Oct. 15, 1991; 57 FR 24364, June 9, 1992; 70 FR 75399, Dec. 20, 2005; 73 FR 54705, Sept. 23, 2008; 73 FR 69554, Nov. 19, 2008; 76 FR 78824, Dec. 20, 2011; 79 FR 2100, Jan. 13, 2014.
What the words mean in your records
Three levels
Complete is 50. Incomplete, severe is 30. Incomplete, moderate is 10. The table does not print a mild line under DC 8210.
The organs in the note
Voice, respiration, pharynx, stomach and heart. The note says “and,” not “or,” before heart. It says the rating is dependent upon the extent of sensory and motor loss to those organs.
Neuritis and neuralgia are the next rows
DC 8310 is neuritis. DC 8410 is neuralgia. Their titles are separate from “Paralysis of.”
Evidence that speaks to each level
50, 30, or 10
What the rater needs to see. Whether paralysis is complete, incomplete and severe, or incomplete and moderate.
Where that usually lives. The cranial-nerve examination, including sensory and motor loss to the organs the note names.
VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Cranial Nerve Conditions” under Neurological. The file is Cranial Nerve Conditions.
The exam form
DC 8210 prints 50, 30, and 10. This page does not say the form replaces those lines.
Related codes and how they interact
The same nerve has neuritis and neuralgia rows
After the paralysis note, the table lists 8310 Neuritis and 8410 Neuralgia for this nerve. Those are not the three paralysis lines.
Secondary conditions and presumptions
Section 3.309 does not contain “vagus,” “pneumogastric,” or “8210.” This page does not add DC 8210 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 paralysis of the vagus nerve under DC 8210?
Under 38 CFR § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8210 rates paralysis of the tenth (pneumogastric, vagus) cranial nerve at 50, 30, or 10 percent. The note depends upon sensory and motor loss to organs of voice, respiration, pharynx, stomach and heart. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.
Are neuritis and neuralgia the same three lines?
No. The table lists 8310 Neuritis and 8410 Neuralgia as the following rows. The 50, 30, and 10 lines are under “Paralysis of.”
FAQ
What are the DC 8210 percentages?
50, 30, and 10. Complete paralysis is 50. Incomplete, severe is 30. Incomplete, moderate is 10. Education only.
Which organs does the note name?
Voice, respiration, pharynx, stomach and heart. The note ends with a period.
Does Appendix B keep the word paralysis?
Yes. Appendix B says “Tenth (pneumogastric, vagus), paralysis.”
Next steps
- Read the decision for DC 8210 and whether complete, incomplete severe, or incomplete moderate 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 neurological codes are on the neurological diagnostic-code index. The category page is neurological 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 Neurological, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Neurological codes
- DC 8104Paramyoclonus multiplex
- DC 8105Chorea, Sydenham's
- DC 8106Chorea, Huntington's
- DC 8107Athetosis, acquired
- DC 8108Narcolepsy
- DC 8205Fifth (trigeminal), paralysis
- DC 8207Seventh (facial), paralysis
- DC 8209Ninth (glossopharyngeal), paralysis
- DC 8211Eleventh (spinal accessory, external branch), paralysis
- DC 8212Twelfth (hypoglossal), paralysis
- DC 8305Neuritis, fifth cranial nerve
- DC 8307Neuritis, seventh cranial nerve
- DC 8309Neuritis, ninth cranial nerve
- DC 8310Neuritis, tenth cranial nerve
- DC 8311Neuritis, eleventh cranial nerve
- DC 8312Neuritis, twelfth cranial nerve
Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.
Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 8210 • va.gov
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