Spinal Cord, Benign Neoplasm — VA Rating (DC 8022)
Diagnostic Code 8022 · 38 CFR §4.124a
What Is It?
DC 8022 covers benign tumors of the spinal cord — most commonly meningiomas, schwannomas, neurofibromas, low-grade ependymomas, and dermoid or epidermoid cysts. Benign does not mean harmless: a slow-growing tumor in the confined space of the spinal canal can compress the cord and produce progressive deficits identical to those a malignant tumor causes. The diagnosis is established by MRI followed by resection and pathology confirmation, and most are treated surgically with the goal of complete removal. 38 CFR §4.124a opens the neurological schedule with a bracketed instruction: disability from the diseases it lists "may be rated from 10 percent to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function," referring the rater to the appropriate body system of the schedule for each manifestation. Inside the 8000–8025 block the schedule prints either a single flat percentage, a single minimum rating, or no percentage at all — there is no severity ladder anywhere in it. A Note closing the block adds two conditions: the minimum ratings for residuals require ascertainable residuals, and when a rating above the minimum is assigned, the diagnostic codes used as the basis of that evaluation must be cited alongside the code identifying the diagnosis. DC 8022 is printed as "Benign, minimum rating — 60," followed by "Rate residuals, minimum — 10." Those are the only two figures the schedule attaches to this code, and they are minimums rather than tiers: 60 percent while the benign neoplasm is the disability being rated, and a floor of 10 percent once the evaluation moves to residuals after treatment.
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 60% | Minimum rating for a benign neoplasm of the spinal cord. The schedule prints this as a minimum, not as a tier — §4.124a's preamble sets the range at 10 to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function, so a benign cord tumor producing severe impairment is evaluated above 60 on that basis, with the codes used as the basis of evaluation cited in the decision. |
| 10% | Minimum rating once the evaluation moves to residuals — the schedule's "Rate residuals, minimum — 10" line. The Note closing the 8000–8025 block requires ascertainable residuals for this minimum, and accepts subjective residuals such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigability on the basis of the diagnosis recorded when they are consistent with the disease and not more likely attributable to another disease or to no disease. |
Evidence Needed
MRI of the spinal cord showing the tumor is foundational. Pathology from resection confirms the benign diagnosis and the specific tumor type. Operative reports document the extent of resection — gross total versus subtotal — and any intraoperative complications, which matters because an incompletely resected tumor is still the disability being rated rather than a set of residuals. Post-operative neurological examination documents the deficits, and surveillance MRI shows whether the tumor has recurred. Service treatment records or post-deployment records establishing the in-service onset of symptoms connect the tumor to service. Where the underlying cause is neurofibromatosis, family history and prior diagnoses are relevant.
C&P Exam Tips
Bring serial MRI imaging, pathology, the operative report, and a current neurology consult. Be clear about whether a tumor is still present: an incompletely resected or recurrent tumor keeps the evaluation on the 60 percent minimum rather than dropping to the residuals floor, so surveillance imaging showing persistent or recurrent disease is the single most useful document you can bring. If the evaluation is on residuals, describe each deficit in the terms its own code uses — weakness by limb and nerve distribution, sensory level, bowel and bladder function. If you have neurofibromatosis, multiple tumors over time are common and each new lesion can warrant evaluation.
How to File
File VA Form 21-526EZ listing spinal cord benign neoplasm under DC 8022 and reference 38 CFR §4.124a. Attach the MRI, pathology, operative reports, and a current neurology consult. If the nexus runs through documented in-service symptom onset, attach the service treatment records. Where residuals are what is being rated, list each one so the evaluation is not left resting on the 10 percent floor, and request SMC evaluation when functional losses justify it.
Common Mistakes
Believing the minimum for a benign spinal cord tumor is 30 percent. The schedule prints DC 8022 as "Benign, minimum rating — 60." The 30 percent minimum in this part of §4.124a belongs to the malignant codes DC 8002 and DC 8021 and to several other conditions in the block, not to DC 8022. Treating "benign" as a reason to expect a small rating. Filing without surveillance MRI when the tumor was incompletely resected, so the record cannot show the tumor is still present. Letting an evaluation sit at the 10 percent residuals floor without documenting the residuals that would carry it higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum rating for a benign spinal cord tumor?
60 percent. 38 CFR §4.124a prints the entry as "8022 Benign, minimum rating — 60," followed by "Rate residuals, minimum — 10." The identical pair appears one block earlier at DC 8003 for benign brain tumors. Because these are minimums rather than tiers, an evaluation can be higher: §4.124a's opening instruction sets the range at 10 to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function, and the Note closing the 8000–8025 block requires the codes used as the basis of any above-minimum evaluation to be cited in the decision.
Will surgical removal end my rating?
It moves the evaluation from the tumor to its residuals, where the schedule sets a floor of 10 percent. Residual deficits — persistent weakness, sensory loss, bowel or bladder dysfunction — are rated on their current severity above that floor. The block's closing Note requires ascertainable residuals for the minimum, and it expressly accepts subjective residuals such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigability, evaluated on the basis of the diagnosis recorded, when they are consistent with the disease. A recurrence or an incomplete resection means there is still a tumor, which is a different question from residuals.
How is DC 8022 different from DC 8021?
DC 8021 covers malignant spinal cord tumors: 100 percent, continued for two years after active treatment ceases, then residuals with a 30 percent minimum. DC 8022 covers benign tumors and has no active-treatment period at all — it is a 60 percent minimum for the tumor and a 10 percent minimum for residuals. Different pathologies, different structures, and different long-term outlooks.