The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for her pilonidal cyst scar, finding that it did not meet the criteria under Diagnostic Code 7802.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pilonidal cyst scar measured only 4 by .1 centimeter and was not manifest by an area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater, which is required for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7802.
- Claimed conditions
- pilonidal cyst scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2026
- Citation
- A26013969
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26013969.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot condition and denied increased ratings for various conditions, but granted an initial 10 percent rating for a pilonidal cyst scar from March 7, 2024 and granted TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration of TDIU during the period on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the issues on appeal, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected pilonidal cyst and scars. The TDIU issue is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's pilonidal cyst and scars due to incomplete documentation of convalescence periods following surgical procedures.
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