Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to insufficient information provided by the veteran regarding his in-service stressors. The claims of service connection for impotence, bladder and kidney disease (claimed as nocturia and urinary frequency), and gastrointestinal disability (GERD) are also denied as there is no evidence supporting a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for left renal cell carcinoma, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's service-connected recurrent kidney stones are not shown to be productive of a disability picture greater than recurrent stone formation requiring diet therapy, drug therapy, or invasive or non-invasive procedures more than two times per year. As such, the claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent is denied.

The veteran's claims have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney and liver disorders, finding no direct evidence of their onset during service or a link to service.

The Board determined that there was no relationship between the veteran's service and his death, including consideration of claimed asbestos exposure. The cause of death was listed as sepsis encephalitis due to respiratory and renal failure.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to decide the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant and her representative are requested to provide any additional medical records, specifically those from the veteran's final hospitalization, and a VA medical opinion will be obtained to determine if prostate cancer or Agent Orange exposure contributed to the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an abdominal disorder, right renal calculi, and left renal cyst. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. The Board also denied secondary service connection for bilateral below the knee amputations due to heart disease.

The Board has determined that the veteran's kidney stones are presumed to have been incurred in service.

The veteran is seeking compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for various disabilities allegedly resulting from a cervical spine surgery performed in April 2001 at the Cleveland, Ohio VAMC. The Board has determined that an examination is needed to determine if these disabilities are related to the surgery and whether they were caused or chronically worsened by VA treatment.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability of the kidney, liver, spleen, or colon related to active service.,The VA examiner diagnosed the veteran with past history of injury to the kidney, liver, spleen, and bowel but currently no clinical evidence to support any kidney, liver, spleen, or colon pathology.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for his cause of death, as there was no evidence linking his death to any in-service disability or disease. The appellant is also not eligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits due to her husband's recognized military service.

The VA denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for shortness of breath and kidney problems, attributing these conditions to pre-existing medical issues.,The claim for reopening the right knee disability was granted, but no effective date or rating percentage is assigned.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, but denied the underlying merits of the claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus (with hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, rectal abscess, retinopathy, and renal insufficiency) is being remanded due to outstanding Federal records and private medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for bladder cancer and renal cell cancer, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not caused by or a result of the veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Board finds that the veteran's cancers, including metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), which was the immediate cause of his death, can be attributed to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The evidence supports a finding that the veteran served in areas where there was heavy spraying of herbicides, including Agent Orange, and that his hypospermia shortly after service likely resulted from such exposure. Therefore, the Board grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the veteran's kidney cancer and heart attack with service-connected PTSD.