Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for service connection for panic disorder, PTSD, and an undiagnosed illness manifested by memory loss are denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors for PTSD and to schedule a VA examination to determine the etiology of her claimed memory loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA/privately obtained medical records. The appellant's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left great toe injury and headaches, but granted service connection for GERD. The claims for uterine fibroids, joint pain, stomach pain, and atopic dermatitis were not decided.

The Veteran's headaches associated with an undiagnosed illness were rated at 10 percent prior to August 30, 2006 and increased to 30 percent from that date. The Board found the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for all issues developed for appellate review, including service connection claims and a low back rating claim.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II, sleep apnea, and joint pain to include as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for malignant melanoma and Persian Gulf War syndrome were remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed right ear hearing loss and skin disorder were not incurred as a result of an established event, injury, or disease during active service.

The case was remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings as the evidence did not support a compensable rating for any of his service-connected conditions.

The claims for service connection for various conditions, including folliculitis, musculoskeletal strain, left ulnar nerve neuropathy, facial congestion and breathing difficulties, sperm abnormalities, right shoulder disorder, and right knee disorder are being remanded for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, major depressive disorder, and low back pain as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist damage, left forearm damage, and a lung disability were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the claimed conditions manifested in service.

The appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and scheduling a VA dermatology examination.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions, and the Board dismissed the issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and muscle pain and cramps in the calves due to an undiagnosed illness, as well as a higher rating for blepharitis.

The Board remands the case to obtain additional evidence and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet, but not for a low back disorder. The veteran's myofascial pain syndrome is related to his active duty service, while sleep apnea, GERD, and memory loss are not.

The veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal within the prescribed time period for each of the denied claims, resulting in the denial of his appeals as a matter of law.

The appeal is remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC.