Kidney disease decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to service or carbon tetrachloride exposure, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability with shoulder blade pain and shakiness of knees, and urinary/kidney stone disability are all denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's renal cancer is related to his service, including any exposure to herbicides or tetrachloroethylene at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran seeks service connection for respiratory, kidney, and skin disabilities that he claims are related to his in-service herbicide exposure. The Board finds additional development is needed as there may be outstanding VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records relevant to the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral foot calluses and right urethral reflux with a history of kidney stones.

The Veteran's lung cancer was not related to service, and his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as chronic renal failure, obstructive uropathy, benign prostatic hypertrophy, urinary tract infections, decubitus ulcer, hypostatic pneumonia and sepsis. The Board found that these conditions were not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing they were incurred in or aggravated by service. Additionally, the Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease was determined not to have contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of Interferon treatment, finding that VA did not cause any additional disability resulting from the treatment.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding medical records from Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending and will be reconsidered after obtaining these records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic renal dysfunction, and a lung disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or competent medical opinions linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's hypertension, renal cysts, and liver lesions are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain service treatment records and Social Security Administration records, as well as a medical opinion regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's death was attributed to encephalopathy due to hypertension, but it is unclear whether his service-connected conditions contributed to this outcome.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for status post right nephrectomy for right renal cell carcinoma due to new and material evidence submitted. The medical opinion indicates a possible link between the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active duty and his development of renal cell carcinoma.

The Veteran is not entitled to specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant because his lower extremity disability is due to nonservice-connected conditions and he does not meet the criteria for loss of use of both lower extremities.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for DIC benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic renal failure was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), diabetic retinopathy, a kidney condition, and diabetic ulcers, all conditions to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service, which would allow for presumptive service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a broken collar bone, acid reflux, bilateral ankle disability, cellulitis, bowel disorder, migraines, kidney failure, hiatal hernia, and bilateral pes planus. The issues have been remanded to issue an SOC.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from February 21, 2004 to February 24, 2004 were denied as the condition did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment.