What can I claim secondary to pterygium?
1 condition in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list pterygium as a factor. If DVA has accepted your pterygium, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionPterygium
- Conditions it may open1
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your pterygium, and another condition's SoP lists pterygium as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list pterygium as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Visual refractive error
RH No. 35 of 2025 · BoP No. 36 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having a pterygium of the affected eye at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening of astigmatism or hyperopia” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having a pterygium of the affected eye at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening of astigmatism or hyperopia” [onset and worsening]
What else opens further claims
- Conditions secondary to diabetes mellitus
- Conditions secondary to hypertension
- Conditions secondary to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Conditions secondary to alcohol use disorder
- Conditions secondary to cirrhosis of the liver
- Conditions secondary to hepatitis c
- Conditions secondary to depressive disorder
- Conditions secondary to sarcoidosis
- Check every condition you have accepted →
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean I will be accepted for these conditions?
No. It means the legislation contains a pathway. The factor still has to be met on your evidence, and the new condition still has to be diagnosed by a qualified practitioner.
Do I need a new diagnosis for each one?
Yes. DVA cannot accept liability for a condition that has not been diagnosed. If something here matches symptoms you have been living with, that is the conversation to have with a doctor.
Is this the same as an aggravation claim?
No. Aggravation is where service worsened a condition you already had. A sequela is a separate condition arising from one already accepted, claimed in its own right with its own SoP.
Where does this information come from?
The Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles, as held in our SoP Library. We index the factor text of all 357 instruments. SoPs are amended regularly — confirm the current instrument before relying on it.
What should I do next?
Have your record read against these pathways. A chart review establishes which are actually provable, with the page reference behind each one.
What DVA means by pterygium
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Pterygium, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pterygium: (a) means a triangular or wedge-shaped expanse of fibrovascular tissue which grows horizontally in the interpalpebral fissure, extending from the conjunctiva to the cornea, being immovably united to the cornea at its apex, firmly attached to the sclera throughout its middle portion, and merged with the conjunctiva at its base; and (b) excludes: (i) pseudo-pterygium; (ii) pinguecula; (iii) pterygium of the nails; (iv) pterygium colli; (v) antecubital pterygium; and (vi) popliteal pterygium. (3) While pterygium attracts ICD-10-AM code H11.0, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of pterygium is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, pterygium where it was already present before or during service. If service caused pterygium outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 33 of 2025 · BoP No. 34 of 2025 · 2 factors
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Pterygium accepted?
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