Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for absent right kidney and acquired left kidney disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for the ratings of pleurisy and tuberculosis have been dismissed as he withdrew them during his October 2019 Board hearing.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, lung cancer, and kidney disability are granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including anemia, arthritis or other disability of the lumbar spine, sleep apnea, and malignant melanoma. Service connection was reopened on new evidence for a kidney disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence added to the file and a need for a VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for lung disability, colon polyps, TBI (head injury), seizures, bilateral athlete’s foot, and kidney disease. The Board dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's special monthly pension was granted effective August 15, 2006. The claim is denied for an earlier effective date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma with right kidney removal is service-connected, as there is at least equipoise evidence linking his in-service exposure to petroleum products and herbicide agents to his cancer.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous instructions and for an addendum opinion addressing a new theory of entitlement regarding the Veteran's cause of death.

The Veteran's service connection claims for headaches, psychiatric disorder, substance abuse, HIV infection, brain disease (aneurysm), kidney disorder, and disability manifested by weight loss are all granted. The claim for seizures is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, CVA, and acute renal failure as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded multiple issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and MDD), leukemia, COPD, AC joint arthritis of the left shoulder, urinary frequency, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, renal artery stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, cervical spine disability, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran is required to attend VA examinations for these issues.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The kidney disability claim is remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ulcerative colitis and kidney cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange are remanded as the Board finds insufficient evidence on record regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including MAI, allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, renal cyst, and muscle weakness (related to myasthenia gravis), have been denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for kidney disease, but has remanded the issues of diabetes mellitus type II, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and residuals of a left hip replacement due to duty-related aggravation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, acid reflux, and post-kidney transplant kidney disease. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and the cause of his death. The VA will need to verify if the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during service, determine if diabetes mellitus contributed to his death, and obtain additional medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to a lack of sufficient medical evidence on file. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service, but there is limited or suggestive evidence linking hypertension to such exposure. A new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s conditions are related to his service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Crohn's Disease and chronic renal disease due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran's STRs indicate he had stomach troubles during his military service, and he received treatment related to intestinal issues in 1962. The Board requests additional records from Emory Clinic and Northside Hospital.