EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
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Prolactinoma
✓ VERIFIED AGAINST 38 C.F.R.§ 4.119 (Endocrine system) · reviewed 2026-05-15 · ClaimRecon Editorial Team
Prolactinoma is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 7915 of 38 CFR § 4.119, DC 7915 across 2 severity tiers (100% / 0%). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303.
OVERVIEW
Benign pituitary tumor that overproduces prolactin. The most common type of pituitary adenoma. Causes galactorrhea, menstrual irregularity in women, and hypogonadism/erectile dysfunction in men.
RATING CRITERIA (2 LEVELS)
100%
For prolactinoma carcinoma (very rare malignant variant), DC 7914 verbatim — 100% during/after surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure; mandatory VA examination at six months; any rating change subject to § 3.105(e); if no recurrence or metastasis, rate-as residuals (hyperprolactinemia symptoms, hypogonadism, galactorrhea, visual-field defects from chiasmal compression).
0%
Rate as residuals of endocrine dysfunction. DC 7915 (benign endocrine neoplasm) carries no fixed schedular percentage. For prolactinoma, the disability is rated on the basis of the resulting endocrine and functional dysfunction — typically the hypogonadism, hyperprolactinemia symptoms, infertility, galactorrhea, and any visual-field deficit from optic-chiasm compression — under each appropriate diagnostic code.
KEY EVIDENCE TO GATHER
-Service treatment records showing injury or complaints
-Imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT)
-Range of motion measurements
-Flare-up documentation per Sharp v. Shulkin
-Buddy statements describing limitations
-Prescription history
-Physical therapy records
-Employment impact documentation
C&P EXAM TIPS (6)
1.Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.
2.Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.
3.Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.
4.Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).
5.If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.
6.Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL
Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.119 (Endocrine system). Source verified 2026-05-15 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team during a regulation-text comparison against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026