Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00157:front:0:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00157
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 0–3337

Statement of Principles
concerning
PTERYGIUM
 (Balance of Probabilities)
(No. 34 of 2025)
The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated 18 February 2025.

Professor Terence Campbell AM
Chairperson
by and on behalf of
The Repatriation Medical Authority

Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Repeal
5 Application
6 Definitions
7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
8 Basis for determining the factors
9 Factors that must exist
10 Relationship to service
11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles
Schedule 1 - Dictionary
1 Definitions

 1.                Name
This is the Statement of Principles concerning pterygium (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 34 of 2025).
 1.                Commencement
              This instrument commences on 25 March 2025
 1.                Authority
This instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
 1.                Repeal
The Statement of Principles concerning pterygium No. 117 of 2015 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2015L01674) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed.
 1.                Application
This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.
 1.                Definitions
The terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.
 1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
        1.           This Statement of Principles is about pterygium and death from pterygium.
Meaning of pterygium
 1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pterygium:
         1.           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
         2.           excludes:
                 1.             pseudo-pterygium;
                 2.          pinguecula;
                 3.        pterygium of the nails;
                 4.         pterygium colli;
                 5.           antecubital pterygium; and
                 6.         popliteal pterygium.
 2.           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).
 3.           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.
Death from pterygium
 1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pterygium, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the