Body system: SkinRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.118
Erythroderma is a serious skin condition where at least 90% of your body's skin becomes red, inflamed, and often peels or sheds. The VA rates this condition based on how well treatments work for you and what kind of therapy you need. The rating focuses on treatment failure and the intensity of ongoing treatment rather than just how your skin looks - if multiple treatments haven't worked, you'll get a higher rating.
Rating levels
- 100% — Your skin condition must affect your entire body and cause serious health problems like fever, unexplained weight loss, or dangerously low protein levels in your blood (hypoproteinemia). The erythroderma must be so severe that it's making you systemically ill, meaning it's affecting your whole body's functioning, not just your skin.
- 100% — You qualify for this rating if doctors have stopped treating your erythroderma (a severe skin condition where most or all of your skin becomes red, inflamed, and peeling) because at least two different treatment plans have failed to help your condition. This means medical professionals have documented that multiple attempts to treat your skin condition were unsuccessful, so they are no longer actively treating it.
- 60% — You are not currently receiving treatment for your erythroderma (severe skin redness and scaling covering most of your body) because doctors have already tried at least one treatment approach that didn't work for your condition. Your medical records show that previous treatments failed to improve your skin condition, so no further treatment is being given at this time.
- 30% — You qualify for this rating if you have erythroderma (a condition where large areas of your skin become red, inflamed, and may peel) covering any amount of your skin, and you needed intensive medical treatments for at least 6 weeks total (but not continuously) within the past year. These treatments include strong medications like steroids, immune-suppressing drugs, light therapy (PUVA or UVB), newer biologic medications, or radiation beam therapy to manage your skin condition.
- 10% — You qualify for this rating if you have erythroderma (a condition causing widespread redness and scaling of the skin) that covers any amount of your skin and requires powerful medical treatments for less than 6 weeks total during a 12-month period. These treatments include strong medications like steroids, immune-suppressing drugs, special light therapies (PUVA or UVB), biologic medications, or electron beam therapy that doctors use to control severe skin conditions.
- 0% — You qualify for this rating if you have erythroderma (a skin condition causing widespread redness and scaling) affecting any amount of your skin, but your condition has been mild enough that you've only needed topical treatments like creams, ointments, or lotions applied directly to your skin during the past 12 months. You haven't required stronger treatments like oral medications, injections, or light therapy to manage your condition.