Glaucoma decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right eye disability, finding that his current conditions are not due to trauma or toxic exposures in service and do not have residuals of any incident. The evidence does not establish continuity of symptoms shortly after service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for glaucoma, peripapillary atrophy (PPA), and bilateral cataracts.

The Veteran's visual impairment, including blindness, is not service-connected due to the July 1996 septorhinoplasty and reconstruction. The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required to determine if any diagnosed eye disability is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral glaucoma and macular degeneration due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's gynecological disability, including ovarian cysts and hysterectomy, is granted as service-connected.,Her hypertension secondary to the hysterectomy is also granted as service-connected.,However, her bilateral glaucoma with pain is denied as not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of STRs and the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed vision loss and glaucoma.

The Board has found that another remand is necessary to ensure there is a complete record on which to decide the claim for noncongestive glaucoma, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and scheduling an examination to assess the extent of disfigurement caused by the bleb resulting from the Veteran's glaucoma surgery.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depression with anxiety disorder was denied, and the claim for TDIU prior to April 30, 2015, was granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for open-angle glaucoma is remanded due to a duty to assist error.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 26, 2021, for the award of a 100 percent rating for respiratory disability is also remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's diabetes and hypertension are granted as presumptively related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Korea. However, the claim for glaucoma is denied.,Service connection for hypertension is granted based on the presumption of herbicide agent exposure, effective from August 10, 2022 (PACT Act).,The Veteran's glaucoma is not found to be related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headaches, and open angle glaucoma. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,Specifically, the Board found no chronicity of HTN within one year after separation from active duty, and there was no credible evidence linking it to service exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to her inability to use assistive devices as a normal mode of locomotion.

The Board has determined that the November 2018 rating decision should be remanded to issue a Statement of the Case regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (anxiety and depression), and PTSD due to issues with verifying the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism disability is rated at 0 percent, and the Board finds duty to assist errors occurred prior to the October 2023 rating decision. The issue of a compensable evaluation for service-connected hypothyroidism must be remanded.,The Veteran's entitlement to a 10 percent evaluation based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities is also remanded due to duty to assist errors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient etiological opinions regarding the Veteran's right eye disorder, specifically narrow-angle glaucoma. A new VA opinion is needed to determine if any of his service-connected conditions caused or aggravated this condition.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder other than the service-connected IBS, kidney stones and renal insufficiency, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorder), migraine headaches, heart disorder, bilateral knee disorder, hypertension, DVT, glaucoma, cholesterol, and fibromyalgia are all remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's service connection claims will be remanded to determine the etiology of his gastrointestinal disorders, kidney stones and renal insufficiency, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorder), migraine headaches, heart disorder, bilateral knee disorder, hypertension, DVT, glaucoma, cholesterol, and fibromyalgia.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is reopened, and he is granted service connection for headaches. The case is remanded for further examination regarding pituitary tumor with hyperplasia and hyperpituitarism, colonic polyps, and eye disability (glaucoma).

The Veteran's bilateral keratoconjunctivitis sicca and glaucoma are found to be related to his in-service symptoms, leading to a grant of service connection.