Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development and examination due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's renal cyst and adrenal gland disorders were not found to be related to his in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, leading to a denial of service connection.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, stage 1 in remission, status post remote right radical nephrectomy is presumed to have been caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board has granted service connection for these residuals.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death was related to his active service and if any service-related pathology caused general impairment of health.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, kidney disability, and COPD. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims that these conditions were related to his military service.,Service connection was not granted because there was no medical evidence showing a link between any of the disabilities and the Veteran's time in active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.,Service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are all denied.,Service connection for skeletal arthritis is denied.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (left and right) and upper extremities (left and right) is denied.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied.,Service connection for bilateral kidney disability is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral eye condition (diabetic retinopathy) is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and kidney cancer (renal carcinoma) were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange, during his military service in Guam. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his claimed exposures.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims for left upper extremity paralysis, right upper extremity pain, left lower extremity pain, and right lower extremity pain are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and increased ratings for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and PTSD have been dismissed. The Veteran does not have a current kidney disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hand disorder, gout, heart disorder, knee disorder, sinusitis, kidney disorder, and tourette syndrome. The appeals were either not pursued or new evidence was submitted that did not relate to the original reasons for denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including lower back condition, left leg condition, left knee condition, bilateral hips conditions, bilateral ankle conditions, bilateral foot conditions, anxiety, depression, COPD, headaches, and loss of right kidney are denied.,Right knee and right leg conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and other conditions have been granted service connection. The right knee disorder and gout are also granted. However, the Veteran does not meet criteria for service connection for plantar fasciitis, liver disorder (including hepatic steatosis), or right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's residuals of kidney cancer are related to his in-service herbicide exposure. A new VA examination is needed to provide an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and right arm edema were denied. Service connection was granted for a headache disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), and chronic kidney disease due to diabetes mellitus are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and kidney condition as secondary to service-connected orthopedic disabilities due to insufficient rationale in previous VA opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's herbicide exposure during service. The AOJ is instructed to verify if the USS Ponchatoula operated within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam, and to obtain any necessary medical records for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's kidney stones.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a kidney disease disability due to Agent Orange exposure is reopened, but the case is remanded as additional development is needed to determine the etiology of his condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has remanded them due to the need for additional evidence regarding in-service chemical exposure and psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, nephropathy (claimed as a kidney condition), diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and gout have been granted service connection. The Veteran is also granted a 50% rating for subarachnoid hemorrhage by history with headaches.