Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2001

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, finding that the veteran's current condition is related to an injury sustained during active duty for training in March 1995.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting their onset during active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, a cyst on the back, post-traumatic stress disorder, fatigue as due to an undiagnosed illness, and stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss (claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness).

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeals on all issues related to service connection for various conditions due to an undiagnosed illness, as his Substantive Appeals were not timely filed.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not related to military service or due to an undiagnosed illness. The subcutaneous nodule of the right costal margin is presumed to have been incurred during active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's skin disorder, manifested by recurrent rashes, is due to an undiagnosed illness and incurred during service in the Persian Gulf War. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, major affective disorder, depression and/or bipolar disorder, disability of the large and small intestine and/or stomach, undiagnosed illness manifested by urinary frequency and incontinence, and undiagnosed illness manifested by cold flashes. The RO also confirmed the denial of service connection for asthma.

The Board found that the veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal for his claims of service connection for chronic fatigue, various undiagnosed illnesses, and a mental disorder. The appeal was closed due to failure to respond within the required time frame.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to changes in the law, including the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including low back disability, major depression, memory loss, mood swings, and sleeplessness due to an undiagnosed illness, joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness, testicular cancer (to include as secondary to Persian Gulf War service), loss of appetite due to an undiagnosed illness, impotence due to an undiagnosed illness, constipation due to an undiagnosed illness, postoperative residuals of a lipoma of the left infrascapular area, and blood in the bowels due to an undiagnosed illness. The Board found that there was no evidence supporting these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, finding that allergic rhinitis was incurred during active duty but Bell's palsy did not meet criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot fungus, respiratory disorder, chest pain as a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness, and PTSD. The appeals were based on new evidence that reopened these previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his service in the Persian Gulf War, and thus does not warrant service connection under the provisions of Chapter 11 of Title 38, United States Code.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD, migraine headaches, essential hypertension, galactorrhea, weight gain due to medications, or uncontrollable tremors. The evidence does not support a finding of these conditions being related to her military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's appeal is not adequate to address all issues denied in the August 1998 rating decision. The claims for service connection for chest pain, lung disorder, and generalized joint pain, muscle aches and numbness are denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities.

The veteran's left knee disability is found to be due to his service-connected left hip disability, and thus granted as secondary service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for periodontal disease, skin rash due to an undiagnosed illness, fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, and memory loss due to an undiagnosed illness. The RO also denied his claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected second degree burn scar on the right upper arm.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have residuals of a right wrist injury, a scar on his forehead, or broken teeth due to service. The VA examinations did not find any current disabilities related to these conditions. For the remaining claims for undiagnosed illnesses, there is insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the claimed disorders and service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a skin rash due to undiagnosed illness, compression fractures of the lumbar spine, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and anxiety disorder. The appeal is based on evidence that was not previously considered.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that they were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty and could not be presumed to have been due to undiagnosed illness.