Chronic Angle-Closure Glaucoma

DC 6012Organs of Sense38 CFR 4.79, DC 6012

A type of glaucoma where the drainage angle in your eye becomes blocked, causing pressure to build up inside the eye and damage the optic nerve. The VA rates angle-closure glaucoma based on how much your visual field and visual acuity have been reduced.

How the VA rates this condition

The VA rates this condition based on objective clinical measurements and test results. The examiner will use standardized tests or lab values to determine the severity of your condition rather than relying primarily on subjective symptom reports.

Diagnostic code

DC 6012

Rating range

0% – 60%

Rating levels

Rating criteria are defined in 38 CFR 4.79, DC 6012. This guide presents a plain-language summary and is not a substitute for the full regulatory text. Always consult a VSO or VA-accredited attorney for case-specific advice.

Rating Levels

Your glaucoma has caused profound visual impairment with near-total visual field loss or near-blindness in both eyes.

What the VA looks for

Near-total visual field loss documented on perimetry
Corrected visual acuity worse than 20/200 in both eyes
Legal blindness documented
Dependence on assistive devices or sighted guide
Complete occupational disability from vision loss

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not getting both Humphrey (or Goldmann) visual field testing and visual acuity testing — the VA rates glaucoma based on whichever measurement produces the higher rating, so you need both tests documented.
⚠Not documenting the history of IOP readings and treatments — a record of elevated pressures and treatment responses helps establish the chronic nature and severity.
⚠Failing to claim secondary conditions like migraines from chronic eye pressure, anxiety from progressive vision loss, or sleep disturbance — these can add to your combined rating.
⚠Not specifying the type of glaucoma at the C&P exam — angle-closure glaucoma has a different course and treatment than open-angle glaucoma, and the examiner should document this accurately.

Related DBQ Forms

DBQ Eye Conditions

View evidence checklist →See secondary conditions →

Condition Rating Guides

Understand what the VA looks for at each rating level — loading conditions…

How the VA rates this condition

Diagnostic code

DC 6012

Rating range

0% – 60%

Rating levels

Rating Levels

Your glaucoma has caused profound visual impairment with near-total visual field loss or near-blindness in both eyes.

What the VA looks for

Near-total visual field loss documented on perimetry
Corrected visual acuity worse than 20/200 in both eyes
Legal blindness documented
Dependence on assistive devices or sighted guide
Complete occupational disability from vision loss

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not getting both Humphrey (or Goldmann) visual field testing and visual acuity testing — the VA rates glaucoma based on whichever measurement produces the higher rating, so you need both tests documented.

⚠Not documenting the history of IOP readings and treatments — a record of elevated pressures and treatment responses helps establish the chronic nature and severity.

⚠Failing to claim secondary conditions like migraines from chronic eye pressure, anxiety from progressive vision loss, or sleep disturbance — these can add to your combined rating.

⚠Not specifying the type of glaucoma at the C&P exam — angle-closure glaucoma has a different course and treatment than open-angle glaucoma, and the examiner should document this accurately.