Chronic suppurative otitis media, mastoiditis, or cholesteatoma (DC 6200)

Chronic suppurative otitis media is a long-term ear infection where pus drains from the middle ear, mastoiditis is infection of the bone behind the ear, and cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth in the ear that can cause damage. The VA rates this condition at 10% while you're actively having drainage (suppuration) or have growths called aural polyps in your ear canal. This is considered an active, ongoing condition rather than something that's fully healed.