Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

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.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lung disorder, chronic fatigue, and joint pain and muscle soreness due to an undiagnosed illness. The appeal is based on the veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed low back disability, foot fungus, rhinitis, sinusitis, headache disorder (claimed as secondary to service-connected ear disabilities), labyrinthitis (secondary to service-connected ear disabilities), fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, and hypertension. The veteran's anxiety neurosis and PTSD were granted a 50 percent evaluation.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The tingling sensation of the body, fatigue, memory loss and headaches due to undiagnosed illness are not considered disabling enough for a compensable evaluation. Patello femoral pain syndrome is not related to service or an undiagnosed illness. Depression was also not found to be related to service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for HIV infection and an undiagnosed illness, finding no evidence of the conditions in service and insufficient medical nexus to establish a link between current symptoms and military service.

The veteran's headaches, fatigue, and fever are not considered to be due to an undiagnosed illness related to service in the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for branchial asthma, extraction of third molars (for treatment), umbilical little reducible hernia, generalized arthralgia due to undiagnosed illness, and residuals of a right shoulder separation. The reasons were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including multiple joint and muscle pains due to undiagnosed illness and minimal change disease, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence did not establish a current disability for either condition.

The veteran's sleep disturbance and abnormal weight loss are not considered to be due to an undiagnosed illness that developed in service during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic acquired mood or anxiety disorder, osteoarthritis of the hips, and bilateral leg disorder (claimed as cramps), all due to an undiagnosed illness. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board denied service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and irritable bowel symptoms due to lack of evidence linking the disability to service. Service connection was granted for generalized anxiety disorder incurred in service. The Board also denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the undiagnosed illness.