Kidney disease decisions — 2006

The veteran died of metastatic renal carcinoma, which the record shows was not present in service or for many years thereafter and has not been linked by competent evidence to service. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the veteran's death to his time in service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran died of multiple myeloma and renal failure, but was not receiving VA compensation or pension at the time of death. Therefore, he is not eligible for burial benefits.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of his service dates and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for kidney stones, finding no evidence of a chronic disease in service and insufficient medical evidence linking current kidney stones to service. The issue of service connection for the residuals of a mouth injury with loss of teeth due to shrapnel injury was also addressed but is not included in this decision.

The veteran's kidney stones have not caused frequent colic attacks requiring catheter drainage since July 28, 1999. The Board finds no evidence of recurrent stone formation or current problems related to the service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examinations and records, particularly regarding hypertension, renal failure, and any heart murmur.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his bilateral hearing loss warranted a noncompensable evaluation. The other issues were not addressed due to pending appeals.

The Board finds that the service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to the veteran's death due to cardiac failure, chronic renal insufficiency, and coronary artery disease. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions were primarily caused by other risk factors such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, age, and prior myocardial infarction.

The veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The appellant does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for VA death pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional examination.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused or materially contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for headaches, bronchial asthma with history of pneumonia, and kidney stones were denied. The veteran is not entitled to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for headaches or a compensable rating for kidney stones. A 30 percent rating has been granted for bronchial asthma since the effective date of service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and kidney failure are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.

The Board found that the cause of death (escherichia coli septic shock) was not service-connected, and thus denied burial benefits.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his medical records and consideration of his claims, including the need to determine if separate ratings are more advantageous.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, kidney disorder, incontinence, prostate enlargement (claimed as prostate cancer), arthritis of multiple joints and the spine, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision found no evidence of these conditions during active duty or continuity of symptomatology thereafter.

The Board found that no service-connected disability caused or contributed to the veteran's death.

The Board found that the veteran's kidney stones existed prior to service and worsened during service, but did not find any aggravation beyond natural progression. Service connection for prostate cancer was denied as there is no evidence of a link between Agent Orange exposure and the condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and to reopen his claims, except for prostate cancer which was granted based on Agent Orange exposure.