Kidney disease decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for melanoma of the left shoulder, basal cell carcinoma of the neck and facial region, mass on the right adrenal gland, and enlarged prostate.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for renal cell carcinoma with anatrophic kidney, status post kidney transplant and scars, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his active duty and these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that metastatic renal cancer was incurred during active duty and contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a genitourinary disorder, including nephrolithiasis of the left kidney, incomplete erectile dysfunction, and benign prostate hypertrophy, as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence in the Veteran's extensive medical record that his kidney disease was due to gout medication.

The Board finds that service connection is warranted for a chronic kidney disorder manifested by blood, protein, and sugar in the urine.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, kidney failure, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular accident.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, while severe, do not render him unemployable. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of TDIU.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion on the etiology of the veteran's cardiovascular disorders and diabetes mellitus.

The claim for VA compensation for birth defects involving medullary sponge kidney disease and Crohn's disease of the veteran's child was denied as there is no legal basis for such benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder, as there was no evidence to support that his current kidney condition is related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and residuals of a head injury, found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen his claim for idiopathic cardiomyopathy and renal insufficiency, determined that the veteran's PTSD did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 70 percent, and concluded that he was not entitled to TDIU.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, as there was no medical evidence or competent opinion linking a cardiovascular disease to any incident of service and no evidence that diabetes played a causative role in his death.

The Board concluded that the veteran's renal disease was not caused by VA treatment in February 1995.

The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, kidney stones, and bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and a kidney condition as secondary to cluster headaches were denied due to lack of evidence supporting the conditions or their relation to service.

The Board remands the claims for further development to determine if the veteran's account of being stopped in Nagasaki is plausible and whether he can be considered a 'radiation-exposed veteran'.

The veteran's prostate cancer is service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides, while the other conditions are not.

The Board denied service connection for a bladder dysfunction, recurrent left varicocele, kidney stones, and left inguinal hernia with scar as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and renal insufficiency were granted, while his claims for increased ratings for PTSD were denied.