Kidney disease decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims related to hypertension, kidney disorder, bilateral eye disorder, type II diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's exposure to helicopter emissions is considered in these cases.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for blood in urine, blood in stool, kidney stones, and gallstones as secondary to medication prescribed for the service-connected gastritis due to failure to obtain addendum opinions addressing the aggravation component of these claims.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma was not related to service, including presumed in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The VA examiner found that his symptoms did not cause occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's kidney failure is granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board dismissed the appeal as there was no longer a specific determination with which the appellant disagreed, and the claim for service connection for cause of death has been granted in full.

The Board has determined that the claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and kidney condition must be remanded due to inadequate reasons and bases provided by the AOJ in their September 2022 and February 2023 decisions. The AOJ did not adequately address whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his herbicide exposure during service or if they are secondary to any service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Multiple Myeloma, Chronic Renal Disease, and Hypertension. The conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) with pneumonia is being remanded due to the need for an adequate VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on five different conditions were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, which is related to service exposure to burn pits. The VA will obtain a new medical opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and a kidney disorder, were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or direct service connection. The Board found that the current diagnoses did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for urinary impairment secondary to diabetes mellitus and renal calculus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or causation/aggravation by any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction (secondary to prostate cancer), and residuals of right kidney removal (claimed as renal cell carcinoma) are all granted. The claim for the right kidney disorder is remanded due to a failure to consider in-service Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction (secondary to prostate cancer), and residuals of right kidney removal (claimed as renal cell carcinoma) are all granted. The claim for the right kidney disorder is remanded due to a failure to consider in-service Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's kidney disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service, considering all exposure risk activities.

The Board has denied an initial compensable rating for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for chronic kidney disease as a complication of service-connected hypertension. The case is now being sent back to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current chronic kidney disease is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for pulmonary nodules and a right kidney cyst due to contaminated water exposure at Willow Grove Naval Air Station. The RO is instructed to confirm the Veteran's claim of exposure and obtain an opinion from a VA clinician regarding the nature and etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, depressive disorder, TBI, and related disabilities, were denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or link to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal before the scheduled hearing.