Reference: 38 CFR 4.119

Sources & Related Guides

What is the VA rating for Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders?

Understand Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders guidance under DC 7907 (Cushing's syndrome, a 100/60/30 ladder that expires six months after initial diagnosis), DC 7908 (Acromegaly, a fully stable, non-expiring 100/60/30 ladder), DC 7909 (Diabetes insipidus, a 30 percent tier for three months, then either a stable 10 percent tier or a disclosed dispatch/gap), and DC 7912/7916/7917 (Polyglandular syndrome, Hyperpituitarism, and Hyperaldosteronism, all disclosure-only), per COND-080/RSCH-087.

What is Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders?

38 CFR 4.119 covers six diagnostic codes for these pituitary and adrenal endocrine conditions, sourced under RSCH-087. DC 7908 (Acromegaly) is a real, fully computable, non-expiring 100/60/30 percent ladder. DC 7907 (Cushing's syndrome) is a real 100/60/30 percent ladder, but every tier shares a single six-month time window from initial diagnosis, after which the regulation dispatches to an unnamed residual code -- the same time-window-then-unnamed-destination-dispatch shape already used for DC 7900/DC 7903 in the Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders hub. DC 7909 (Diabetes insipidus) computes a real 30 percent tier for the first three months after initial diagnosis, and a real, non-expiring 10 percent tier once diabetes insipidus has NOT subsided past that window and persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy is documented; if diabetes insipidus HAS subsided past that window, the regulation dispatches to the same kind of unnamed residual code as DC 7907. DC 7912 (Polyglandular syndrome), DC 7916 (Hyperpituitarism), and DC 7917 (Hyperaldosteronism) are disclosure-only in full, matching DC 6820/DC 7918's established precedent -- none carries a registry row, an evaluator, or intake wiring implying computation.

Next steps

What would you like to do with Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders?

Start AssessmentAnswer condition-scoped questions using documented findings from your records or exam notes.ContinuePercentage GuideSee the published percentage tiers and what changes between them.ContinueSecondary ConditionsSee conditions commonly connected to this one in VA claims.Continue

Save this condition to find it again later. Saved only on this device and browser. Never sent to RatingScope. Lost if you clear browser data or switch devices or browsers.

Start with your question

What are you trying to understand about pituitary and adrenal disorders?

Overview

How VA rates Cushing's syndrome, Acromegaly, Diabetes insipidus, Polyglandular syndrome, Hyperpituitarism, and Hyperaldosteronism

38 CFR 4.119 covers six diagnostic codes for these pituitary and adrenal endocrine conditions, sourced under RSCH-087. DC 7908 (Acromegaly) is a real, fully computable, non-expiring 100/60/30 percent ladder. DC 7907 (Cushing's syndrome) is a real 100/60/30 percent ladder, but every tier shares a single six-month time window from initial diagnosis, after which the regulation dispatches to an unnamed residual code -- the same time-window-then-unnamed-destination-dispatch shape already used for DC 7900/DC 7903 in the Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders hub. DC 7909 (Diabetes insipidus) computes a real 30 percent tier for the first three months after initial diagnosis, and a real, non-expiring 10 percent tier once diabetes insipidus has NOT subsided past that window and persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy is documented; if diabetes insipidus HAS subsided past that window, the regulation dispatches to the same kind of unnamed residual code as DC 7907. DC 7912 (Polyglandular syndrome), DC 7916 (Hyperpituitarism), and DC 7917 (Hyperaldosteronism) are disclosure-only in full, matching DC 6820/DC 7918's established precedent -- none carries a registry row, an evaluator, or intake wiring implying computation.

This guide is educational only. RatingScope does not diagnose any of these conditions, does not infer a confirmed diagnosis, does not determine service connection, and does not predict a VA decision. RatingScope computes DC 7908's full 100/60/30 ladder, DC 7907's 100/60/30 ladder within its six-month window, and DC 7909's 30 percent tier within its three-month window plus its 10 percent tier once not subsided with persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy documented. Four situations are disclosed rather than computed: (1) DC 7907 past its six-month window, for any severity tier; (2) DC 7909 past its three-month window with diabetes insipidus documented as subsided; (3) DC 7909 past its three-month window, not subsided, but without the documented facts clearly matching the 10 percent tier's own named findings -- a genuine gap in the regulation's own text, not resolved by clinical inference; and (4) DC 7912, DC 7916, and DC 7917 in full. DC 7917's disclosure specifically distinguishes a neoplastic (Conn's-syndrome-type) cause, which has a clear dispatch pathway, from a non-neoplastic cause such as bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, for which the regulation's text as written states no pathway at all.

Percentage Guides

Understanding Your Percentage

Select a pathway to see what the published criteria ask about, what records may clarify it, and what should not be assumed.

100% (DC 7907, Cushing's syndrome, within six months)

Highest listed pathway

Cushing's syndrome as active, progressive disease, with osteoporosis, hypertension, and muscle wasting severe enough to prevent rising from a squat, climbing stairs, rising from a deep chair without assistance, or raising the arms, within six months of initial diagnosis.

What separates the next level: Muscle wasting alone, without the active-progressive-disease and osteoporosis/hypertension findings, reaches only the 60 percent tier.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
As active, progressive disease, including areas of osteoporosis, hypertension, and proximal upper and lower extremity muscle wasting that results in inability to rise from squatting position, climb stairs, rise from a deep chair without assistance, or raise arms -- 100.
Qualification explanation
Reached when the documented findings match this tier's active, progressive presentation and the six-month window since initial diagnosis has not yet passed.
Examples
Records document active, progressive Cushing's syndrome with osteoporosis, hypertension, and inability to rise from a deep chair without assistance, diagnosed 2 months ago.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Records establishing the initial diagnosis date; Bone density, blood pressure, and functional strength testing records
Functional impact examples
Inability to rise from a squat, climb stairs, or rise from a deep chair without assistance, or raise the arms, due to active Cushing's syndrome.
Common misconceptions
This tier, like DC 7907's other two tiers, expires six months after initial diagnosis -- see the dedicated disclosure on what happens after that window.
Related topics
7907-expiration-gap
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7907; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087. No pending rulemaking touches 38 CFR 4.119.

60% (DC 7907, Cushing's syndrome, within six months)

Next: [object Object]

Cushing's syndrome with proximal muscle wasting severe enough to prevent rising from a squat, climbing stairs, rising from a deep chair without assistance, or raising the arms, but without the active-progressive-disease findings the 100 percent tier requires, within six months of initial diagnosis.

What separates the next level: Striae, obesity, moon face, glucose intolerance, and vascular fragility without this level of functional muscle wasting reaches only the 30 percent tier.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
Proximal upper or lower extremity muscle wasting that results in inability to rise from squatting position, climb stairs, rise from a deep chair without assistance, or raise arms -- 60.
Qualification explanation
Reached when the documented findings show this muscle-wasting presentation, without also meeting the 100 percent tier's active-progressive-disease findings, and the six-month window has not yet passed.
Examples
Records document Cushing's syndrome with muscle wasting preventing the veteran from climbing stairs, diagnosed 4 months ago.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Records establishing the initial diagnosis date; Functional strength testing records
Functional impact examples
Inability to rise from a squat, climb stairs, or rise from a deep chair without assistance, or raise the arms, due to Cushing's syndrome muscle wasting.
Common misconceptions
This tier, like DC 7907's other two tiers, expires six months after initial diagnosis -- see the dedicated disclosure on what happens after that window.
Related topics
7907-expiration-gap
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7907; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

30% (DC 7907, Cushing's syndrome, within six months)

Next: [object Object]

Cushing's syndrome with striae, obesity, moon face, glucose intolerance, and vascular fragility, within six months of initial diagnosis.

What separates the next level: This is DC 7907's lowest stated tier; the regulation names no lower percentage of its own for Cushing's syndrome.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
With striae, obesity, moon face, glucose intolerance, and vascular fragility -- 30.
Qualification explanation
Reached when the documented findings match this tier's presentation and the six-month window has not yet passed.
Examples
Records document Cushing's syndrome with moon face, striae, and glucose intolerance, diagnosed 1 month ago.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Records establishing the initial diagnosis date
Functional impact examples
Documented striae, obesity, moon face, glucose intolerance, and vascular fragility attributed to Cushing's syndrome.
Common misconceptions
This tier, like DC 7907's other two tiers, expires six months after initial diagnosis -- see the dedicated disclosure on what happens after that window.
Related topics
7907-expiration-gap
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7907; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

100% (DC 7908, Acromegaly)

Highest listed pathway

Acromegaly with evidence of increased intracranial pressure (such as a visual field defect), arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and either hypertension or cardiomegaly. This tier is fully stable and does not expire.

What separates the next level: Arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and hypertension without increased-intracranial-pressure evidence reaches only the 60 percent tier.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
Evidence of increased intracranial pressure (such as visual field defect), arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and either hypertension or cardiomegaly -- 100.
Qualification explanation
Reached when all of this tier's findings are documented: increased intracranial pressure evidence, arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and either hypertension or cardiomegaly.
Examples
Records document acromegaly with a visual field defect, arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and hypertension.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Ophthalmologic visual field testing; Echocardiogram or blood pressure records; Joint imaging documenting arthropathy
Functional impact examples
Visual field defect from increased intracranial pressure, combined with joint disease, glucose intolerance, and cardiovascular involvement.
Common misconceptions
DC 7908 carries no Note of any kind -- unlike DC 7907 and DC 7909, none of its tiers is time-limited.
Related topics
Not yet populated
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7908; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

60% (DC 7908, Acromegaly)

Next: [object Object]

Acromegaly with arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and hypertension, but without increased-intracranial-pressure evidence or cardiomegaly.

What separates the next level: Enlargement of acral parts or overgrowth of long bones alone, without this tier's three findings, reaches only the 30 percent tier.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
Arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and hypertension -- 60.
Qualification explanation
Reached when arthropathy, glucose intolerance, and hypertension are all documented, without also meeting the 100 percent tier's increased-intracranial-pressure/cardiomegaly findings.
Examples
Records document acromegaly with joint disease, glucose intolerance, and hypertension, with no visual field defect or cardiomegaly documented.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Blood pressure and glucose tolerance testing records; Joint imaging documenting arthropathy
Functional impact examples
Joint disease combined with glucose intolerance and hypertension attributed to acromegaly.
Common misconceptions
DC 7908 carries no Note of any kind -- unlike DC 7907 and DC 7909, none of its tiers is time-limited.
Related topics
Not yet populated
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7908; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

30% (DC 7908, Acromegaly)

Next: [object Object]

Acromegaly with enlargement of acral parts (hands, feet, jaw) or overgrowth of long bones.

What separates the next level: This is DC 7908's lowest stated tier; the regulation names no lower percentage of its own for acromegaly.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
Enlargement of acral parts or overgrowth of long bones -- 30.
Qualification explanation
Reached when acral enlargement or long-bone overgrowth is documented, without also meeting the 60 percent tier's arthropathy/glucose intolerance/hypertension findings.
Examples
Records document acromegaly with documented enlargement of the hands and jaw.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Imaging documenting acral or long-bone enlargement
Functional impact examples
Documented physical enlargement of the hands, feet, or jaw, or long-bone overgrowth, attributed to acromegaly.
Common misconceptions
DC 7908 carries no Note of any kind -- unlike DC 7907 and DC 7909, none of its tiers is time-limited.
Related topics
Not yet populated
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7908; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

30% (DC 7909, Diabetes insipidus, within three months)

Highest listed pathway

Diabetes insipidus, for the three months following initial diagnosis.

What separates the next level: After three months, this tier expires. What comes next depends on whether the diabetes insipidus has subsided -- see the dedicated disclosures.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
For three months after initial diagnosis -- 30.
Qualification explanation
Reached automatically once diabetes insipidus is diagnosed, for as long as the three-month window since initial diagnosis has not yet passed.
Examples
Records document a diabetes insipidus diagnosis confirmed 6 weeks ago.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Records establishing the initial diagnosis date
Functional impact examples
Recently diagnosed diabetes insipidus, still within the initial three-month evaluation window.
Common misconceptions
This tier does not continue indefinitely -- see the dedicated disclosure on what happens after three months.
Related topics
7909-shape
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7909; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

10% (DC 7909, Diabetes insipidus, not subsided)

Highest listed pathway

Diabetes insipidus, more than three months after initial diagnosis, not subsided, with persistent polyuria or a continuous hormonal therapy requirement documented. This tier is stable and does not itself expire.

What separates the next level: If diabetes insipidus HAS subsided instead, the regulation dispatches to an unnamed residual code -- see the dedicated disclosure. If it has NOT subsided but neither persistent polyuria nor continuous hormonal therapy is documented, this is a separate, disclosed gap in the regulation's own text.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
With persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy -- 10.
Qualification explanation
Reached once the three-month initial window has passed, diabetes insipidus has not subsided, and either persistent polyuria or a continuous hormonal-therapy requirement is documented.
Examples
Records document diabetes insipidus 5 months after diagnosis, not subsided, with persistent polyuria documented.; Records document diabetes insipidus 8 months after diagnosis, not subsided, requiring continuous desmopressin therapy.
Medical evidence
Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); Urinalysis or fluid-balance records documenting persistent polyuria; Medication records documenting continuous hormonal therapy
Functional impact examples
Ongoing polyuria or a continuous hormonal medication requirement more than three months after diagnosis.
Common misconceptions
Diabetes insipidus not having subsided does not, by itself, mean the 10 percent tier applies -- persistent polyuria or a continuous hormonal therapy requirement must also be documented. See the dedicated disclosure for what happens when neither is shown.
Related topics
7909-shape
Source context
38 CFR 4.119; 7909; Current DC 7907-7917 educational pathway, per RSCH-087.

Learn

Understand the details behind the criteria

Use these short guides to connect published terms with the records and observations that may clarify them.

DC 7907's six-month clock and its unnamed destination

All three of DC 7907's tiers (100/60/30) share a single Note: they continue for six months following initial diagnosis, then expire. After that window, the regulation's own text says to 'rate on residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system(s)' -- naming NO specific destination code, regardless of which severity tier applied.

  • DC 7907's Note, verbatim: "The evaluations specifically indicated under this diagnostic code shall continue for six months following initial diagnosis. After six months, rate on residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system(s)."
  • This is independently confirmed, not assumed by code proximity alone, to match the same time-window-then-unnamed-destination-dispatch shape already used for DC 7900 and DC 7903 (both tiers) in the Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders hub: a flat evaluation for a stated number of months, followed by a mandatory dispatch that names no destination code. The comparison was made directly against that hub's own live disclosure text before this hub reused the same treatment.
  • Unlike DC 7900 (a single flat tier) or DC 7904's 60 percent tier (the only one of DC 7904's tiers that expires), DC 7907's Note covers ALL THREE of its own tiers at once -- the six-month window is checked first, and once it has passed, every severity band disclose the same unnamed residual dispatch rather than a guessed tier or destination.
  • RatingScope discloses this honestly: past the six-month window, this hub returns a needs-review result explaining that no destination code is named, rather than guessing a body system or a percentage.

Records to review: Records establishing the initial Cushing's syndrome diagnosis date.

DC 7909's three-month clock, and two separate disclosed gaps past it

Diabetes insipidus is rated 30 percent for three months after initial diagnosis. After that window, the regulation's own Note dispatches subsided cases to an unnamed residual code -- the same shape as DC 7907 and DC 7900/DC 7903. A SEPARATE, distinct gap exists for non-subsided cases that do not clearly match the 10 percent tier's own named findings.

  • DC 7909's Note, verbatim: "Thereafter, if diabetes insipidus has subsided, rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system."
  • This Note's shape was independently compared against DC 7907's own Note and the Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders hub's live DC 7900/DC 7903 disclosure text, and confirmed genuinely equivalent: a stated time window, followed by a mandatory dispatch naming no destination code, once the underlying condition is confirmed to have resolved.
  • DC 7909's 10 percent tier, verbatim: "With persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy -- 10." This tier is real and computable once the three-month window has passed, diabetes insipidus has NOT subsided, and either persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy is documented.
  • A SEPARATE, genuinely unaddressed gap exists: if diabetes insipidus has NOT subsided past the three-month window, but the documented facts do not clearly show persistent polyuria or a continuous hormonal therapy requirement, DC 7909's own text does not address this specific fact pattern. RatingScope does not assume the 10 percent tier applies just because the condition has not subsided, and it does not guess a residual dispatch either -- both would require inferring a rule the regulation's own text does not state. This is disclosed distinctly from the subsided-and-dispatched case above, never conflated with it.

Records to review: Records establishing the initial diabetes insipidus diagnosis date; Records documenting whether diabetes insipidus has subsided; Urinalysis, fluid-balance, or medication records documenting polyuria or hormonal therapy.

DC 7912 (Polyglandular syndrome): an open-ended list, not a closed one

Polyglandular syndrome (multiple endocrine neoplasia, autoimmune polyglandular syndrome) carries no percentage table of its own. VA directs evaluating according to major manifestations, naming five examples explicitly as illustrative -- "to include, but not limited to" -- not as a complete list.

  • DC 7912's text, verbatim, in full: "Polyglandular syndrome (multiple endocrine neoplasia, autoimmune polyglandular syndrome): Evaluate according to major manifestations to include, but not limited to, Type I diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, or Addison's disease."
  • The regulation's own words, "to include, but not limited to," mean these five named manifestations are illustrative examples, not an exhaustive set. Other documented manifestations of a polyglandular syndrome diagnosis may also qualify and require their own case-by-case evaluation under the diagnostic code that actually describes them.
  • RatingScope does not build any closed-list selection tool implying only these five manifestations are valid. A documented polyglandular syndrome diagnosis is evaluated according to whichever specific manifestation is actually documented, under that manifestation's own diagnostic code -- Diabetes (DC 7913), Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders (DC 7900-7906), or Addison's Disease and Pheochromocytoma (DC 7911) among them, each a separate hub in this repository already covering that pathway directly.
  • No registry row, evaluator, or intake wiring exists for DC 7912's own rating -- it is disclosure-only in full, matching DC 6820/DC 7918's established precedent.

Records to review: Records documenting the specific endocrine manifestation(s) present, and the diagnostic code that describes each one.

DC 7916 (Hyperpituitarism): a full dispatch to a malignant or benign neoplasm code

Hyperpituitarism (prolactin secreting pituitary dysfunction) carries no rating table of its own. Its entire text directs evaluating as a malignant or benign neoplasm, as appropriate -- an open dispatch RatingScope discloses but does not compute, for either branch.

  • DC 7916's text, verbatim, in full: "Hyperpituitarism (prolactin secreting pituitary dysfunction): Note: Evaluate as malignant or benign neoplasm, as appropriate."
  • The malignant branch routes to DC 7914 (Neoplasm, malignant, any specified part of the endocrine system), which rates 100 percent during active treatment and for six months after treatment ends, with a mandatory VA examination then determining the rating going forward; DC 7914 names no destination code for the resulting residual rating.
  • The benign branch routes to DC 7915 (Neoplasm, benign, any specified part of the endocrine system), whose entire text is "Rate as residuals of endocrine dysfunction" -- DC 7915 names no destination code at all.
  • Because neither DC 7914 nor DC 7915 names a destination code for hyperpituitarism's own resulting residual rating, this is a genuinely open dispatch to an unnamed code, mirroring the treatment already used for DC 7918 (Pheochromocytoma) in the Addison's Disease and Pheochromocytoma hub, and DC 6820 (Respiratory Neoplasms).
  • No registry row, evaluator, or intake wiring exists for DC 7916's own rating, for either the malignant or benign branch.

Records to review: Pathology confirming a pituitary neoplasm as malignant or benign; Records documenting treatment type, dates, and any cessation date, for the malignant branch's active-treatment window.

DC 7917 (Hyperaldosteronism): a neoplasm dispatch that does not reach every cause

Hyperaldosteronism (benign or malignant) carries no rating table of its own, directing evaluation as a malignant or benign neoplasm, as appropriate. This dispatch has a clear pathway for a neoplastic cause (an adrenal adenoma, the Conn's-syndrome pattern), but the regulation's text as written states no pathway for a non-neoplastic cause, such as bilateral adrenal hyperplasia.

  • DC 7917's text, verbatim, in full: "Hyperaldosteronism (benign or malignant): Note: Evaluate as malignant or benign neoplasm, as appropriate."
  • The text names "malignant or benign neoplasm" specifically. When hyperaldosteronism is caused by a neoplasm (an adrenal adenoma or, rarely, adrenal carcinoma -- the classic Conn's syndrome pattern), this dispatch routes clearly to DC 7914 (malignant) or DC 7915 (benign), the same two endocrine-neoplasm codes DC 7916 and DC 7918 route to, and RatingScope discloses that pathway.
  • Hyperaldosteronism is not always caused by a neoplasm, however -- bilateral adrenal hyperplasia is a common non-neoplastic cause of the same clinical presentation. Silently applying DC 7917's neoplasm dispatch to a non-neoplastic cause by analogy would mean inferring a rule the regulation does not state, which RatingScope does not do. For a documented non-neoplastic cause, this hub computes nothing and discloses plainly that the regulation's text as written provides no stated rating pathway.
  • Both branches -- neoplastic and non-neoplastic -- are disclosure-only in this hub. No registry row, evaluator, or intake wiring exists for DC 7917's own rating, for either cause.

Records to review: Pathology or imaging confirming an adrenal neoplasm (adenoma or carcinoma) as the cause, or confirming a non-neoplastic cause such as bilateral adrenal hyperplasia; Records documenting treatment type and dates, for a documented neoplastic cause.

No pending rulemaking found for 38 CFR 4.119

A direct check of the Federal Register for VA rulemaking touching 38 CFR 4.119, and of this repository's own tracked pending-rule list (RIN 2900-AQ72, AQ73, and AQ82), found no pending amendment to the Endocrine System schedule.

  • RIN 2900-AQ72 (ENT/Audiology and Respiratory), RIN 2900-AQ73 (Neurological Conditions), and RIN 2900-AQ82 (Mental Disorders), this repository's three highest-priority tracked pending rules, are each scoped to CFR sections other than 38 CFR 4.119 and do not touch the Endocrine System schedule.
  • This hub is built on the current, in-force regulatory text sourced under RSCH-087, and will be updated in a future work order if and when any amendment to 38 CFR 4.119 is proposed or finalized.

Records to review: .

Evidence

Evidence that may clarify the published criteria

Endocrinology diagnosis and treatment records

Records confirming a Cushing's syndrome, Acromegaly, or Diabetes insipidus diagnosis, and documenting the initial diagnosis date, the specific severity findings, and, for diabetes insipidus, whether it has subsided.

Not required for the disclosure-only DC 7912, 7916, or 7917 pathways, which this hub does not compute.

Blood pressure, glucose tolerance, bone density, and urinalysis or fluid-balance records

Supports the specific clinical findings distinguishing DC 7907's and DC 7908's tiers, and DC 7909's persistent-polyuria finding.

Only relevant to the specific diagnosis documented.

Pathology or imaging results

Confirms whether a Hyperpituitarism (DC 7916) or Hyperaldosteronism (DC 7917) presentation is malignant, benign, or non-neoplastic.

Do not assume malignancy, benignity, or a neoplastic cause without documented pathology or imaging confirmation.

Endocrine Diseases (Other than Thyroid, Parathyroid, or Diabetes Mellitus) Disability Benefits Questionnaire (VA Form 21-0960E-2)

VA's examination form for these conditions -- confirmed fully aligned with all six diagnostic codes' text, with one practical evidence-reading note about a stray checkbox (see the exam section below).

A DBQ is one common evidence source, not the only way to document these findings.

DBQ

What a pituitary and adrenal disorders examination commonly documents

VA publishes the Endocrine Diseases (Other than Thyroid, Parathyroid, or Diabetes Mellitus) Disability Benefits Questionnaire (Form 21-0960E-2), confirmed fully aligned with all six of this hub's diagnostic codes -- no discrepancy found. One practical, informational note: this same DBQ also carries a "Hypopituitarism" checkbox with no corresponding current diagnostic code, since DC 7910 was removed from the regulation in 1996. This is not a RatingScope error to fix, and not a regulatory disclosure -- it is simply a reading tip so a veteran reviewing their own exam form is not confused by that stray checkbox. RatingScope reads whatever is documented; it does not infer undocumented findings.

  • Diagnosis (Cushing's syndrome, Acromegaly, Diabetes insipidus, Polyglandular syndrome, Hyperpituitarism, or Hyperaldosteronism)
  • Initial diagnosis date, to establish DC 7907's six-month window or DC 7909's three-month window
  • The specific severity findings for DC 7907 or DC 7908, or whether diabetes insipidus (DC 7909) has subsided and whether persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy is documented
  • For Hyperpituitarism or Hyperaldosteronism, whether the presentation is malignant, benign, or (for Hyperaldosteronism) non-neoplastic

Terminology

Plain-English terms

Cushing's syndrome (DC 7907)

A condition causing symptoms like muscle wasting, obesity, and osteoporosis from too much cortisol -- rated on a real ladder, but only for the first six months after diagnosis.

Determines which of DC 7907's three tiers applies, and whether the six-month window has passed.

Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); 7907-expiration-gap

Acromegaly (DC 7908)

A condition causing abnormal growth of bones and tissues from too much growth hormone -- rated on a stable ladder with no expiration.

Determines which of DC 7908's three tiers applies. Unlike DC 7907 and DC 7909, none of DC 7908's tiers expires.

Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2)

Diabetes insipidus (DC 7909)

A condition, unrelated to Diabetes mellitus, causing the body to be unable to properly regulate fluid balance -- rated on an initial flat tier, then either a stable lower tier or an unnamed dispatch depending on whether it has resolved.

Determines DC 7909's applicable tier, and which of two genuinely different disclosed situations applies once the three-month window has passed.

Endocrine Diseases DBQ (VA Form 21-0960E-2); 7909-shape

Polyglandular syndrome (DC 7912)

RatingScope discloses that the regulation's own five named manifestations are examples, not a complete list, and does not compute a rating for DC 7912 itself.

A documented polyglandular syndrome diagnosis is evaluated by whichever specific manifestation is actually documented, under that manifestation's own diagnostic code.

Hyperpituitarism (DC 7916)

DC 7916 has no percentage of its own. Neither DC 7914 nor DC 7915 names a destination code for the resulting residual rating, so this code cannot be independently computed.

This code is disclosure-only in this hub, for both the malignant and benign branches.

Hyperaldosteronism (DC 7917)

DC 7917 has no percentage of its own. A neoplastic cause (Conn's-syndrome-type) has a clear dispatch pathway; a non-neoplastic cause has none stated in the regulation's own text.

This code is disclosure-only in this hub, for both the neoplastic and non-neoplastic branches.

Rate on residuals

Once the initial evaluation period ends, VA looks at what lasting problems remain and rates those specifically.

Used by DC 7907 (all three tiers) and DC 7909 (once subsided) -- neither names a specific destination code.

Treatment records confirming the applicable window has ended; 7907-expiration-gap; 7909-shape

TDIU

Even if the schedular rating for Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders does not reach 100 percent, TDIU may still provide a pathway to compensation at the 100 percent rate, based on unemployability from this and/or other service-connected disabilities combined.

A lower schedular percentage does not by itself foreclose TDIU eligibility -- this hub computes only the schedular percentage for this specific condition and does not determine TDIU eligibility.

Employment history; vocational impact documentation; occupational impairment

Common Questions

Questions veterans commonly ask

How does VA rate Cushing's syndrome?

DC 7907 rates Cushing's syndrome 100, 60, or 30 percent by severity. Every tier expires six months after initial diagnosis; after that window, the regulation directs rating residuals with no specific destination code named.

What happens to Cushing's syndrome after six months?

All three of DC 7907's tiers expire six months after initial diagnosis. The regulation's own text then directs rating residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system(s), naming no specific destination code -- the same shape already disclosed for DC 7900/DC 7903 in the Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders hub.

How does VA rate Acromegaly?

DC 7908 rates Acromegaly 100, 60, or 30 percent by severity. Unlike DC 7907 and DC 7909, none of DC 7908's tiers is time-limited -- it carries no Note of any kind.

How does VA rate Diabetes insipidus?

DC 7909 rates diabetes insipidus 30 percent for the first three months after initial diagnosis. After that, if it has subsided, the regulation dispatches to an unnamed residual code. If it has NOT subsided and persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy is documented, it rates 10 percent. If it has not subsided but neither of those findings is documented, DC 7909's own text does not address that fact pattern, and RatingScope discloses this gap rather than guessing.

What about Polyglandular syndrome?

DC 7912 has no percentage of its own. The regulation directs evaluating according to major manifestations, naming five examples as illustrative, not exhaustive ("to include, but not limited to"). RatingScope discloses this open-endedness and does not build a closed-list tool implying only those five manifestations are valid.

What about Hyperpituitarism?

DC 7916 has no percentage of its own: it directs evaluating as a malignant or benign endocrine neoplasm, as appropriate. Neither destination code names a residual rating destination, so this is an open dispatch RatingScope discloses but does not compute.

What about Hyperaldosteronism?

DC 7917 has no percentage of its own: it directs evaluating as a malignant or benign endocrine neoplasm, as appropriate. This has a clear pathway when the cause is neoplastic (an adrenal adenoma or carcinoma), but the regulation's text as written states no pathway for a non-neoplastic cause, such as bilateral adrenal hyperplasia -- RatingScope discloses this distinction rather than extending the dispatch by analogy.

Is a rule change coming?

No pending VA rulemaking touching 38 CFR 4.119 was found in a direct Federal Register check, and this section is outside the scope of the three highest-priority rulemakings this repository already tracks (RIN 2900-AQ72, AQ73, and AQ82).

If my schedular rating for Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders is below 100%, can I still be compensated at the 100% rate?

Possibly, through TDIU (Total Disability rating based on Individual Unemployability, 38 CFR 4.16) -- a separate pathway to 100 percent compensation based on unemployability, from this and/or other service-connected disabilities combined, independent of whether the schedular rating itself reaches 100 percent. This hub computes only the schedular percentage and does not determine TDIU eligibility.

Preparation

What to have nearby

  • Confirmed diagnosis

    Determines which of the six DC 7907-7917 pathways applies -- each has genuinely independent criteria.

  • Initial diagnosis date

    The single most load-bearing fact for DC 7907 (six-month window) and DC 7909 (three-month window).

  • Severity findings specific to the diagnosis

    Distinguishes DC 7907's and DC 7908's three tiers, and DC 7909's persistent-polyuria/continuous-therapy finding.

  • Whether diabetes insipidus has subsided, if applicable

    Determines whether DC 7909 dispatches to an unnamed residual code or reaches its stable 10 percent tier.

Ready when you are

Compare documented pituitary and adrenal condition findings

RatingScope computes DC 7908's full ladder, DC 7907's ladder within its six-month window, and DC 7909's tiers within and after its three-month window where the documented facts clearly match. DC 7907 past its six-month window, DC 7909 when subsided past its window or when not subsided without matching findings, and DC 7912, DC 7916, and DC 7917 in full, are all disclosed rather than computed. Do not upload records or enter Social Security numbers, claim numbers, full dates of birth, or other sensitive identifiers. RatingScope does not infer missing findings.

Informational guidance only. RatingScope does not predict, decide, or guarantee VA outcomes.

Compare my pituitary or adrenal condition records

Learn More

Continue Understanding

Claims Process: exam preparation

General claim-exam preparation guidance, not specific to this condition.

Open resource

Claims Process: evidence checklist

General evidence-gathering guidance, not specific to this condition.

Open resource

38 CFR 4.119 - Endocrine System

Official eCFR source for DC 7907, 7908, 7909, 7912, 7916, and 7917's published text.

Open resource

VA Endocrine Diseases (Other than Thyroid, Parathyroid, or Diabetes Mellitus) Disability Benefits Questionnaire

Official VA form index.

Open resource

38 CFR 4.16 - Total disability ratings for compensation based on unemployability (TDIU)

Official source for TDIU, a separate pathway to 100 percent compensation based on unemployability, independent of the schedular percentage. This hub does not determine TDIU eligibility.

Open resource

Secondary conditions

Conditions commonly connected to Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders

No commonly documented secondary connections are tracked for Pituitary and Adrenal Disorders yet.

Keep going

Related Tools

Compare a percentage level and combined-rating math, or review evidence context.

See all tools

Percentage Guide

See what each percentage level means for your condition, then use the whole-person calculator to combine more than one rating.

Open Percentage Guide

Evidence Categories

Understand common evidence categories and what they can clarify without treating them as a checklist.

Review evidence categories