Kidney disease decisions — 2016

The Veteran's service-connected right kidney injury with persistent hematuria has caused the requirement of regular dialysis for several times a week, meeting the criteria for a 100 percent rating for renal dysfunction.

The Veteran's cystic kidney disease was granted an initial noncompensable rating, but a compensable rating of 30% is assigned. Service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder was also granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine if any current back or right leg disability is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant. As a result, no further action will be taken on this case.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for PTSD and denied CUE in a September 2008 rating decision regarding kidney disease. The case is remanded to issue a Statement of the Case on the CUE claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's kidney disability did not preexist service and is not otherwise etiologically related to active service. The Veteran's current back disability was not shown to have had its onset during active service, nor were symptoms of the condition chronic or continuous since service separation.

The Veteran's right renal cell carcinoma was not shown to be related to his active service, including exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Board found that the cancer is not among the enumerated conditions for which presumptive service connection may be established based on herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease, chronic liver disease, and a kidney disorder including proteinuria as these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's respiratory, renal, and hypertension disabilities were not caused or aggravated by military service or by service-connected diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease. The claims are denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for vision problems, sinusitis, dental disease, high cholesterol, headaches, and renal failure.

The Board denied service connection for lupus and kidney disorder, finding no evidence of pre-service or in-service onset. The Veteran's claims were not based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an etiological opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his exposure to jet fuel emissions caused or aggravated his renal cell cancer and/or lung cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck disorder, residuals of head injury (left arm weakness and headaches), lung disorder, kidney disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are all service-connected. The decision is granted for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA oncologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's small cell renal carcinoma and considering whether it is related to diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD (including emphysema) is not related to service and denied service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran's nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) did not begin during service or be causally related to service, thus denying service connection for this condition as well.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder and kidney stones has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, finding service connection for the Veteran's right renal AV fistula.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam and denied service connection for the cause of death due to leukemia, which was not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected ulcerative colitis caused or aggravated his chronic renal condition.