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Varicose Veins

Enlarged, twisted veins usually in the legs caused by weakened vein walls and valves. The VA rates varicose veins based on the severity of symptoms including swelling, skin changes, and ulcers.

Code: 7120
Criteria: 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7120 (evaluated under DC 7121)
Exam length: ~30 minutes
Form: Artery and Vein Conditions DBQ

Rating steps

0%
10%
20%
40%
60%
100%

The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.

What happens at the appointment

The examiner will visually inspect your legs for varicose veins, noting their location, size, and extent.
You will be asked about symptoms: aching, fatigue, heaviness, swelling (edema), skin changes, and pain after standing or walking.
The examiner will check for edema by pressing on the skin and noting any persistent indentation (pitting edema).
Skin changes will be assessed: staining or discoloration (hyperpigmentation), eczema, ulceration, or subcutaneous induration.
You will be asked about treatment: compression stockings, elevation, medications, sclerotherapy, or vein stripping surgery.

What the examiner is actually filling in

01Whether edema is present and whether it is persistent (does not fully resolve with elevation).
02Skin changes: stasis pigmentation, eczema, ulceration, subcutaneous induration.
03Whether there is persistent ulceration or a history of healed ulcers.
04Whether the condition is unilateral or bilateral.
05Symptom severity: aching, fatigue, heaviness, and response to elevation and compression.

Rated under 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7120 (evaluated under DC 7121). The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.

A complete answer sounds like

The rating escalates significantly with skin changes and ulceration. If you have darkened skin, eczema, or any history of ulcers, make sure these are documented.
If edema does not fully resolve with elevation overnight (persistent edema), that is a key finding for a higher rating.
Describe the daily cycle: "By 2 PM my ankles are swollen and my legs ache. Elevation helps some but by the next morning there is still residual swelling."
If both legs are affected, each leg can be rated separately — make sure the examiner assesses both.
Photos showing the progression of skin changes over time are powerful evidence. Bring dated photos if you have them.

What costs veterans points

Wearing compression stockings right up until the exam, hiding the swelling and making the condition look less severe.
Not mentioning skin changes: darkening of the skin around the ankles, itching, dryness, or eczema — these are signs of more advanced disease.
Not describing the impact of prolonged standing: if your job requires standing and your legs swell and ache, explain that limitation.
Forgetting to mention past ulcers. A history of ulceration, even if currently healed, indicates significant venous disease.

The rating criteria, in plain language

Rating levels for Varicose Veins under 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7120 (evaluated under DC 7121)
Rating	Rating criteria	What that means for you
0%	Asymptomatic palpable or visible varicose veins	Varicose veins you can see or feel, but no symptoms. Service-connected at 0% — no monthly payment, but it is on record if it worsens. The lowest compensable level under this code is 10 percent.
0%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery
10%	Intermittent edema of extremity or aching and fatigue in leg after prolonged standing or walking, with symptoms relieved by elevation of extremity or compression hosiery	Swelling that comes and goes, or aching and fatigue in the leg after standing or walking a long time, relieved by elevating the leg or by compression hosiery.
10%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery
20%	Persistent edema, incompletely relieved by elevation of extremity, with or without beginning stasis pigmentation or eczema	Persistent swelling that elevating the leg does not fully relieve, with or without early stasis pigmentation or eczema.
20%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery
40%	Persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without intermittent ulceration	Persistent swelling plus stasis pigmentation or eczema, whether or not ulcers come and go.
40%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery
60%	Persistent edema or subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or eczema, and persistent ulceration	Persistent swelling or hardening under the skin, plus stasis pigmentation or eczema, plus ulcers that do not heal.
60%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery
100%	Massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest	Massive board-like swelling with constant pain even at rest.
100%	What supports this level Examination findings recording swelling and whether elevation relieves it Photographs of stasis pigmentation, eczema or ulceration Wound care records for any ulcer, with dates A separate evaluation for each affected leg — § 4.104 DC 7121 Note evaluates each extremity on its own and then combines them Prescription or purchase records for compression hosiery

The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7120 (evaluated under DC 7121), condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.

Mistakes we see most often

Each leg is rated separately — file for both legs if both are affected to get a combined rating.

Not documenting skin changes like stasis dermatitis, pigmentation changes, or ulcers — these are key to higher ratings.

Not photographing leg swelling and skin changes over time to show progression.

Not connecting varicose veins to prolonged standing during military service.

Before & after your exam

These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.

Do not miss the appointment: Missing your C&P exam without a good reason can cost you. Under 38 CFR § 3.655, a missed exam can cause a claim for an increased rating or a reopened claim to be denied, and can cause an original claim to be decided on the evidence already in your file. If you cannot make it, call the VA or the exam company right away to reschedule — a documented good reason (illness, work conflict, no transportation, a family emergency) protects your claim.
Your examiner may be a contractor: Many C&P exams are performed by VA-contracted companies — QTC, Optum Serve (LHI), VES, or MSLA — not at a VA hospital. They will call, text, or mail you to schedule. Do not ignore an unknown number or letter while your claim is pending, and confirm the exam location and time before you go.
The examiner does not decide your claim: The examiner's job is to record findings on the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). A rating specialist at the Regional Office makes the actual decision, using the exam together with your full record — service records, medical records, and lay statements. One appointment does not settle everything.
Get a copy of your exam report: After the exam you can request the report (often called the DBQ or C&P exam results) through VA.gov, the Blue Button tool, or your accredited representative. Reading it lets you catch errors while you still have time to respond.
If the exam was inadequate, you have options: If the examiner rushed you, evaluated the wrong condition, or the report is inaccurate, you can submit a statement and new evidence, and — after a decision — request a review (a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review). A single bad exam is not the end of your claim.

View condition guide →View evidence checklist →

Folder readiness

Tick these off as you gather them. Nothing here is required — the exam happens either way — but each one is something the examiner cannot record if it is not in front of them.

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Take it with you

Print the whole guide — what the examiner records, the folder list with your ticks, the criteria table and the mistakes to avoid — and bring it to the appointment.

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C&P Exam Preparation Guides

The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.

Source forms
Coverage

Varicose Veins

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam

Varicose Veins

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam