Kidney disease decisions — 2013

The Board found no evidence of service connection for any of the claimed conditions due to lack of in-service exposure and insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for residuals of right kidney nephrolithiasis was denied. The RO granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable rating (10%) for the condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO in Huntington for a Board videoconference hearing. The claims of service connection for skin cancer, skin disability, type II diabetes, neuropathy, and kidney disease are pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death. The appellant was denied entitlement to service connection for cause of death and TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disability, kidney stones, chronic pain syndrome (other than lumbago and chronic back pain), epididymitis, bilateral foot fungus, and depression and anxiety disorder. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to his claimed stomach, pancreatic, or kidney conditions. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's right kidney cysts have been shown to be manifested by no more than hypertension requiring continuous medication for control and normal renal function, warranting a noncompensable evaluation. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial 30 percent evaluation are met.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, COPD, was not related to his period of service and denied claims for DIC benefits, accrued benefits, and VA pension.

The Veteran's arthritis of multiple joints, loss of vision, and kidney disorder (including hematuria) were not found to be service-connected or due to VA treatment for a skin disorder.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to his in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The remaining issues of service connection for hypertension, renal disease, cerebrovascular accident, heart condition, and peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to medical questions that cannot be answered by the Board.

The Board found that Addison's disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his Reserve service records and to obtain any outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran experiences bilateral lower extremity edema, which the Board finds is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected kidney disease. As such, he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records and ensure a complete record is available before deciding the appeal.

The Veteran died in January 2006 from metastatic renal cell carcinoma with parotitis. The Board found no service connection for these conditions and denied the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's bilateral inguinal hernia disability is not service-connected as there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition during service and the current condition did not manifest until after discharge. The other issues were either not addressed or are not supported by sufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sudden cardiac death and end stage renal disease were not caused or substantially contributed to by his service-connected schizophrenia, nor by any medication used for treatment of schizophrenia. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.