Glaucoma decisions — 2017

The Veteran's end-stage glaucoma and legal blindness are not service connected as they did not occur during his military service or due to a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's eye disorder did not have its onset during service, is not a result of service, and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, service connection for an eye disability is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma is granted. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence shows that the Veteran's current disability of glaucoma is etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no credible evidence of service in Vietnam and thus no basis for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(iii).

The Veteran's service-connected right eye glaucoma and bilateral glaucoma have not met the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was aggravated during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The other issues were either not addressed or are pending further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and examination, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA ophthalmological examination.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the Board has dismissed the appeal due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 70% since September 1, 2016. The Veteran also has a current diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and an eye disorder other than diabetic retinopathy (presumed to be glaucoma). He was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection for any of the conditions listed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current eye disabilities were not caused by his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's primary open angle glaucoma with optic neuropathy/nerve atrophy was not manifested during his active duty service or for many years after discharge from service, nor is it otherwise related to active duty. The claim of entitlement to a TDIU has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and glaucoma were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides. The preponderance of the evidence shows that these conditions are unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an effective date prior to June 9, 2009, for the service-connected disabilities listed on the title page. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure. His skin disorder, glaucoma, lung disorder (COPD and interstitial lung disease), and sinusitis are not among the listed diseases eligible for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's normal tension glaucoma disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, dense paracentral scotoma of the left eye, and allergic rhinitis have been denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of glaucoma or any other disability related to these conditions. The Veteran's left eye scotoma resulted in a 20/15 vision with an average contraction of 54 degrees in his visual field, which did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His allergic rhinitis was characterized by three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis without any incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's primary open-angle glaucoma was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left and right eye disabilities, diagnosed as cataracts, glaucoma, and pseudophakia, did not begin during or as a result of his military service.