Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's kidney cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes is granted, and his chronic kidney condition is also granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a kidney disorder, including bilateral renal masses, renal failure, kidney cysts, and polycystic kidney disease, has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to unclear severity of the Veteran's kidney disability and incomplete VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a gastrointestinal disability (to include colon cancer), a kidney disability (to include kidney failure), and diabetes mellitus for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and ureter tube cancer due to potential exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Veteran is advised to obtain a medical nexus opinion from Dr. M.J. regarding his prostate cancer's impact on these cancers, and evidence of 3-4 kidney infections during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's urinary tract condition, including kidney stones. The Veteran is requested to undergo a new examination by a physician to determine the nature and cause of any current urinary tract disability.

The Veteran's hypertension, esophageal condition, kidney stones, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and right wrist CTS were not shown to be related to service.,There is no evidence of these conditions during or immediately after service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the service-connected porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and its treatment caused or aggravated the Veteran's end-stage renal disease, which contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and renal cell carcinoma, finding no evidence of in-service injury or exposure that could be linked to the current disabilities.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is presumed to be related to service exposure at Camp Lejeune, and the Board finds that this presumption has not been rebutted.

The Veteran's kidney dysfunction is not service-connected, and his DDD of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy has been granted a 40% rating since September 23, 2002.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for left big toe injury is remanded, while the kidney condition remains denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and renal insufficiency as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease. The decision is based on insufficient evidence in the file regarding medications used to treat CAD.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected shell fragment wound, right lumbar region was denied. Separate ratings were granted for chronic kidney disease and pulmonary condition as residuals of the same injury. The case is remanded to evaluate muscle group XX injury and determine if it is related to the service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, finding that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of GERD and that it was less likely than not caused by his service-connected renal cell carcinoma.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hypertension and its relation to service. The cause of death is also under review.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially to his death from coronary artery disease.,However, the VA examiner concluded that the PTSD did not cause the coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction in rating for his kidney condition was dismissed. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 2, 2014.