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Statement of Principles

Blepharitis — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Blepharitis. DVA can only accept a claim for Blepharitis if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

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Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

Blepharitis

RH No. 29 of 2019 · BoP No. 30 of 201962 factors

Meaning of blepharitis: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, blepharitis: (a) means inflammation of the eyelid margins or glands of the eyelid; and (b) includes acute blepharitis, chronic blepharitis, chalazion (Meibomian cyst) and hordeolum (stye); and (c) excludes orbital or periorbital cellulitis, dacryoadenitis and dacryocystitis.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 29 of 2019

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting blepharitis or death from blepharitis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

  1. (1)
    being a prisoner of war at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  2. (2)
    having an infection of the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: infection of the affected eyelid is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  3. (3)
    having an infestation of the affected eyelid region, due to a parasite from the specified list of parasites, at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: specified list of parasites is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  4. (4)
    having a smallpox immunisation within the two weeks before the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  5. (5)
    having seborrhoeic dermatitis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  6. (6)
    having rosacea of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  7. (7)
    having psoriasis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  8. (8)
    having discoid lupus erythematosus of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  9. (9)
    having ocular or periocular exposure to an allergen within the 48 hours before the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: allergen is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  10. (10)
    having an irritant substance exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: irritant substance is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  11. (11)
    having mustard gas exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  12. (12)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the region of the affected eye was in the field of radiation, at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  13. (13)
    having a benign or malignant neoplasm affecting the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  14. (14)
    having dry eye disease at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: dry eye disease is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  15. (15)
    having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  16. (16)
    being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  17. (17)
    taking oral isotretinoin or oral acitretin for a continuous period of at least one year before the clinical onset of blepharitis, and where treatment has ceased, the clinical onset of blepharitis has occurred within 30 days of cessation;
  18. (18)
    being a prisoner of war at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  19. (19)
    having an infection of the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: infection of the affected eyelid is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  20. (20)
    having an infestation of the affected eyelid region, due to a parasite from the specified list of parasites, at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: specified list of parasites is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  21. (21)
    having seborrhoeic dermatitis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  22. (22)
    having rosacea of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  23. (23)
    having psoriasis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  24. (24)
    having discoid lupus erythematosus of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  25. (25)
    having ocular or periocular exposure to an allergen within the 48 hours before the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: allergen is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  26. (26)
    having an irritant substance exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: irritant substance is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  27. (27)
    having mustard gas exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  28. (28)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the region of the affected eye was in the field of radiation, at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  29. (29)
    having a benign or malignant neoplasm affecting the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  30. (30)
    having dry eye disease at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: dry eye disease is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  31. (31)
    having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  32. (32)
    being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  33. (33)
    inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for blepharitis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(18) to 9(33) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 30 of 2019

29 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, blepharitis or death from blepharitis is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

  1. (1)
    having an infection of the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: infection of the affected eyelid is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  2. (2)
    having an infestation of the affected eyelid region, due to a parasite from the specified list of parasites, at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: specified list of parasites is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  3. (3)
    having a smallpox immunisation within the two weeks before the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  4. (4)
    having seborrhoeic dermatitis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  5. (5)
    having rosacea of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  6. (6)
    having psoriasis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  7. (7)
    having discoid lupus erythematosus of the periocular region at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  8. (8)
    having ocular or periocular exposure to an allergen within the 48 hours before the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: allergen is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  9. (9)
    having an irritant substance exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: irritant substance is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  10. (10)
    having mustard gas exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  11. (11)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the region of the affected eye was in the field of radiation, at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  12. (12)
    having a benign or malignant neoplasm affecting the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;
  13. (13)
    having dry eye disease at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: dry eye disease is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  14. (14)
    being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical onset of blepharitis;

    Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  15. (15)
    taking oral isotretinoin or oral acitretin for a continuous period of at least one year before the clinical onset of blepharitis, and where treatment has ceased, the clinical onset of blepharitis has occurred within 30 days of cessation;
  16. (16)
    having an infection of the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: infection of the affected eyelid is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  17. (17)
    having an infestation of the affected eyelid region, due to a parasite from the specified list of parasites, at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: specified list of parasites is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  18. (18)
    having seborrhoeic dermatitis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  19. (19)
    having rosacea of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  20. (20)
    having psoriasis of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  21. (21)
    having discoid lupus erythematosus of the periocular region at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  22. (22)
    having ocular or periocular exposure to an allergen within the 48 hours before the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: allergen is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  23. (23)
    having an irritant substance exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: irritant substance is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  24. (24)
    having mustard gas exposure to the region of the affected eye at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  25. (25)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the region of the affected eye was in the field of radiation, at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  26. (26)
    having a benign or malignant neoplasm affecting the affected eyelid at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;
  27. (27)
    having dry eye disease at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: dry eye disease is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  28. (28)
    being in an immunocompromised state as specified at the time of the clinical worsening of blepharitis;

    Note: immunocompromised state as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  29. (29)
    inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for blepharitis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(16) to 9(29) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

A VHC Diagnostic Assessment addresses each of these factors one by one against your service record and clinical history. See how a VHC DVA claim works, see all fees ($600 + GST per stage) or book an appointment.

About Dr Thomas Perkins

One doctor. Every report.

Founding doctor of the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and one of Australia's most experienced practitioners in veterans' medicolegal medicine.

Dr Perkins has spent more than thirteen years working exclusively with current and former ADF members — treating their conditions, writing their reports and navigating the DVA system alongside them. With over 100,000 claims submitted and 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, he has seen precisely what separates an accepted claim from a rejected one at every level, from initial liability to the Veterans' Review Board.

Every chart review, diagnostic assessment, impairment rating and appeal that leaves this clinic is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. No template, no locum, no hand-off.

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