Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, PTSD, and kidney stones. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney disorder is due to his military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral cataracts, and renal dysfunction are currently evaluated at 20 percent. The Board finds no evidence to support a higher rating for these conditions. His peripheral neuropathy is not rated as it does not meet the criteria for a separate evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted presumptive service connection for conditions due to exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange.

The Veteran's polycythemia vera is related to his service, as are the secondary conditions of fatigue, bone pain, dementia, major depression with anxiety, hypertension, transient ischemic attacks (TIA), heart failure, anemia, pre-syncope, renal insufficiency and headaches.,Osteoarthritis and disc degeneration of the cervical spine are also related to his service.

The Board found no evidence of SLE or chronic renal insufficiency in service, and the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's kidney cancer was not shown to have had its onset during service or due to herbicide agent exposure. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be related to his in-service herbicide exposure.,Service connection for the Veteran's kidney cancer, gallbladder disorder, and pancreatic disorder are granted as these conditions are also considered to be due to his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction, cataracts, and onychomycosis has been rated at 40 percent since October 29, 2008. The Veteran's right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is rated at 20 percent, while his left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is also rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and thus grants his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's service connection claim for eczema and chronic kidney disease was granted. The Veteran's DDD of the thoracolumbar spine is rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an adrenal gland disorder and a gallbladder disorder have been denied. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating than 10 percent for her left knee degenerative patellofemoral changes has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining an opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's kidney disorder as it relates to her claimed in-service fall and low back pain.

The Veteran's appeals for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain Quality Assurance records related to his MRSA infection.

The Board has granted a 100% schedular rating for schizoaffective disorder and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits since October 18, 2001. The effective date of service connection for the psychiatric disability is also set at this date.

The Veteran's service-connected nephrolithiasis disability has been manifested by recurrent kidney stone formation that requires diet therapy, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's renal insufficiency, also claimed as a kidney condition, is not secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide opinions regarding the relationship between his conditions and active service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his service treatment records and personnel records from the Air Force Reserve Personnel Records Center. The Veteran will also be asked to complete a NA Form 13055 (Request for Information to Reconstruct Medical Data) to help locate his missing records.