Kidney disease decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying combat exposure.

The veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, depression, kidney disorder, and Type II diabetes mellitus, as secondary to Agent Orange exposure. He also seeks a TDIU rating. The case must be remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to inadequate notice of the information and evidence necessary to substantiate his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's residuals of a para-trachea tumor involving the trachea and esophagus due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The other claims remain pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee and kidney disabilities are not related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected, as none of the conditions noted on his death certificate were related to his active duty service.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been denied, but new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen some of the previously denied claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his medical records and compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral cataracts, skin cancer, lupus erythematosus, renal cell carcinoma, and lung cancer, all claimed as secondary to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim of increased evaluation for coronary artery disease with hypertension was granted but is no longer in appellate status.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for essential hypertension with cardiac distress, avitaminosis, a kidney condition with urinary tract infection and nocturnal enuresis, and general debility with insomnia and headaches. The Board found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or a nexus between these conditions and his period of service.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for a kidney disorder, finding that there is no current evidence of a kidney disorder and thus denying the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected and have denied all claims.

The veteran's claims for kidney disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, were denied in January 1972. The claim for service connection was reopened based on new evidence but remains denied. The issue of special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance is pending.

The Board found that the veteran's kidney disorder was not incurred or aggravated as secondary to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications prescribed for his service-connected disorders.

The Board found that the veteran's current renal disability, characterized by recurrent nephrolithiasis treated with drug therapy and catherization, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including duodenal ulcer disease, a psychiatric disorder, essential hypertension, chronic renal disease, left knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cyst of the right wrist, hepatitis C, and hyperlipidemia. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left foot disability and neurological disorder. The right foot and left ankle disabilities were found not to be of service origin or related to any service-connected condition. The low back disability was also determined not to be of service origin or related to a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding service medical records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The veteran's claims for kidney failure, gout, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining missing VA and non-VA treatment records, preparing a summary of stressor events to be sent to the CRUR for verification, and affording the veteran a psychiatric examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney and back disorders, finding that any conditions were not incurred or aggravated by military service.