Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2002

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory and stomach disabilities, both claimed as due to undiagnosed illnesses. The Board found that the veteran's conditions were not related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence submitted since the September 1999 decision, including his service records in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War. The veteran asserts that he suffers from symptoms of an undiagnosed illness and asthmatic bronchitis due to exposure to fires and Sarin gas.

The veteran's PTSD was granted service connection as it resulted from his service in the Persian Gulf. The claims for arthritis, tension headaches, rash, and acute febrile illness were denied due to lack of evidence supporting a direct link to service.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, short-term memory loss as an undiagnosed illness, and joint and bone pain as an undiagnosed illness. Service connection was denied for lung condition with shortness of breath and fatigue.

The veteran's claims for hair loss, hot flashes/night sweats, increased weight, and gynecological disability due to an undiagnosed illness were denied as they are not related to service or the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied service connection for periodontal disease and skin rash, fatigue, and memory loss due to an undiagnosed illness. The veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a current disability or a link to his military service.

The Board has reviewed all submitted evidence since the final denial of service connection for dizziness, bilateral foot disability, and left shoulder disability. No new and material evidence was provided to support reopening these claims.

The appellant has withdrawn their appeal before the Board, thus the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches, a skin disorder, and hypertension. The psychiatric disorder is considered to be a panic disorder incurred during active service.

The veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, fatigue and multiple joint pain (arthralgia), and headaches are all found to be related to his military service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for skin disorder, hair loss, a disorder producing lumps on the body, a disorder producing blood in urine, and headaches, all claimed as due to undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied service connection for undiagnosed illnesses manifested by chronic fatigue and somnolence, as well as pain of the shoulders, elbows, and left wrist. The veteran's symptoms were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by skin rash, finding that the veteran's currently-diagnosed dermatographism did not constitute a basis for service connection based on an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left neck asymmetry, bilateral knee pain, decreased visual acuity (undiagnosed illness), anxiety disorder with fatigue (undiagnosed illness), and PTSD. The decision found that there was no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss and dizziness, both claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness. The issues of low back strain and skin disorder were remanded but are now considered by the Board.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder, swollen legs, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The skin disorder was not found to be due to an undiagnosed illness or connectable to service. Swollen legs were determined to be directly related to service. The acquired psychiatric disorder was found to be secondary to service.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, short-term memory loss, and musculoskeletal headaches due to an undiagnosed illness. The veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was also not granted service connection as it is claimed as an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's service-connected fibromyalgia was granted a 40 percent rating effective March 1, 2002. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD and the issue of service connection for fatigue and joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness were denied.

The veteran's skin disorder, memory loss, eye disorder, lung disorder, and stomach disorder have not been linked to his service. The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for an undiagnosed illness due to Gulf War service. His current conditions are considered direct service connection cases.

The veteran's claims for service connection were granted, and he was assigned a zero percent rating for corneal opacities of the left eye. The other conditions were found to be related to active service.