Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's renal carcinoma (currently in remission but with residuals including chronic kidney disease) was found to be at least as likely as not caused by his in-service exposures to asbestos, cadmium, arsenic, and TCE. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for a kidney disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to an in-service event. The claim for secondary service connection due to degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was not addressed as it should have been.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being submitted after the September 2016 SOC, March 2017 SSOC, and September 2018 decision. The AOJ is instructed to consider this new evidence in their next rating decision.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for renal cancer and hypertension due to potential exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Veteran's service was within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam, qualifying him for presumptive exposure under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.

The Veteran's service connection claim for renal cell carcinoma is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his herbicide exposure in Vietnam and his current diagnosis of kidney cancer.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for an updated medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is presumed due to herbicide exposure. The eye disability, adrenal gland tumor, and tumor neoplasm of the right side are not service-connected as they were not shown during service or related to any service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and kidney disease due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for private treatment records, and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if his conditions are related to in-service insecticide or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Operation Frequent Wind. The claim will be further developed to determine if he served within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam's coast, which would allow for consideration of Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of inverted papilloma was granted due to service connection based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The claim for renal tuberculosis was denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to his service.

The Board has determined that the remand directives were not completed and there have been issues with the medical opinions provided. The claims for service connection are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral iliac artery aneurysm, right; bilateral iliac artery aneurysm, left; carotid artery occlusive disease; infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm; and removal of spleen due to river flukes as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease. The issues of service connection for PTSD and diabetes mellitus, type II (due to herbicide exposure) have been granted.

The Board dismissed the appeals of the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right kidney cyst, finding that there is no evidence linking the condition to his military service or his service-connected kidney stones.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment prior to March 7, 2017.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been granted. The rating issues related to his knees and lower extremities, as well as his left eye disabilities, are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings in several conditions, including left sided sciatica radiculopathy and sinusitis. The Veteran's lumbar spine scar and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine were granted initial compensable ratings, while his spermatocele (status post vasectomy) and right ankle sprain with instability were denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of certain evidence and medical opinions. The Veteran's cause of death is being reviewed, along with his kidney disease and failure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal cysts, and prostate complications were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have residuals from his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or other related conditions.