Kidney Cysts (Polycystic)

A condition in which numerous fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys, gradually enlarging them and impairing function over time. Polycystic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, hypertension, and chronic pain from enlarged kidneys. The VA rates this condition based on the degree of renal dysfunction.

Diagnostic code: 7533
Rating range: 0–100%
Rating levels: 5

How the VA rates this

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.

Rating levels

38 CFR 4.115b, DC 7533 (rated as renal dysfunction under 38 CFR 4.115a)

What the VA looks for

GFR below 15 mL/min/1.73 m² on at least 3 measurements 3+ months apart in the past 12 months
Records of regular routine dialysis
Documentation that you are an eligible kidney transplant recipient
Nephrology treatment records

The criteria, word for word

Chronic kidney disease with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months; or requiring regular routine dialysis; or eligible kidney transplant recipient

Plain-language summary of 38 CFR 4.115b, DC 7533 (rated as renal dysfunction under 38 CFR 4.115a) — not a substitute for the regulatory text. Always consult a VSO or VA-accredited attorney for case-specific advice.

Where these claims lose points

PITFALL 01
Not building a serial GFR record — since the 2021 rewrite of 38 CFR 4.115a the renal dysfunction rungs turn on GFR alone: 30% at 45–59, 60% at 30–44, 80% at 15–29, and 100% below 15 or on regular routine dialysis. Each level requires the value to hold for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12, so a single reading proves nothing — bring results spaced across the year.
PITFALL 02
Assuming BUN, albumin or edema still set the rating — they did before 2021 and they do not now. BUN appears nowhere in the current table, and albumin survives only as the albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR ≥30 mg/g) inside the 0% rung. Ask your provider to record a calculated GFR or eGFR at every visit; § 4.115a expressly accepts eGFR and creatinine-based approximations when a medical professional calculates them.
PITFALL 03
Not filing for secondary hypertension — kidney cysts commonly cause hypertension, which can be rated separately under DC 7101.
PITFALL 04
Not documenting chronic pain from enlarged kidneys — flank pain, back pain, and abdominal discomfort from massive kidney enlargement are important functional impacts to report.
PITFALL 05
Not requesting genetic testing if polycystic kidney disease runs in your family — genetic confirmation strengthens the diagnosis and can help establish service aggravation if symptoms worsened during service.

Free tool · 38 CFR Part 4

Condition Rating Guides

The VA doesn’t rate a diagnosis — it rates what the diagnosis costs you. Every guide here walks the criteria level by level, in plain language, with the code and citation it comes from.

Guides
Prevalence data

Ordered by the number of rated disabilities VA counts in each category. VBA Annual Benefits Report, FY 2025. Where the report groups conditions together, or reports a category under a different diagnostic code than the guide we seat there, the rank is our approximation.

Rating ranges are the levels each diagnostic code allows — not an estimate for any one veteran, and not a combined rating. A single figure means the code has one evaluation and no ladder. Any code can also be assigned 0% when its requirements are not met (38 CFR § 4.31), and a 0% code can still carry special monthly compensation (38 CFR § 3.350).

Kidney Cysts (Polycystic)

Kidney Cysts (Polycystic)

How the VA rates this

Rating levels

100%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR below 15 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12, or you require regular routine dialysis, or you are an eligible kidney transplant recipient.

80%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

60%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 30–44 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

30%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 45–59 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

0%Your polycystic kidney disease is established but has not reduced your GFR below 60.

Where these claims lose points

Related conditions

Kidney Cysts (Polycystic)

How the VA rates this

Rating levels

100%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR below 15 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12, or you require regular routine dialysis, or you are an eligible kidney transplant recipient.

80%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

60%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 30–44 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

30%Your polycystic kidney disease has reduced your GFR to 45–59 mL/min/1.73 m² for at least 3 consecutive months in the past 12.

0%Your polycystic kidney disease is established but has not reduced your GFR below 60.

Where these claims lose points

Related conditions