Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for body rash, jaundice and kidney disorder, diabetes mellitus, and heart disorder as there is no competent evidence demonstrating these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and a VA opinion regarding whether the veteran's death was caused by service-connected conditions or other factors.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence of a kidney disorder related to service or service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has granted payment or reimbursement of unauthorized emergency room expenses incurred at Proctor Hospital beginning on January 16, 2005.

The veteran's kidney function loss and related conditions are not deemed to be due to VA care, treatment or examination.

The Board found no evidence of long-term drug therapy, hospitalizations, or recurrent symptomatic infection due to pyelonephritis affecting the urinary tract. The veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected pyelonephritis and there are no findings of albumin constant or recurring with hyaline and granular casts or red blood cells, a definite decrease in kidney function, edema, BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) 40-80 mg%, creatinine 4-8 mg%, or generalized poor health characterized by lethargy, weakness, anorexia, weight loss, or limitation of exertion. The Board therefore denied the claim for a compensable disability rating.

The veteran's right toe disability is rated at 20 percent, effective September 1, 2003. The veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and medullary sponge kidney are both rated as noncompensable.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, renal failure/kidney disorder, hypertension, headache disorder, epistaxis, and dizziness are all denied as there is no credible evidence of a verified stressor event in service that would support these diagnoses.

The veteran claims compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for renal failure resulting from prostate surgery at a VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida, in October 1987. The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the nature and cause of his current kidney condition.

The Board finds that the veteran's kidney stones were incurred during service, and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board found that the veteran does not have asbestosis or any other disease associated with asbestos exposure, and thus denied service connection for asbestosis. For special monthly pension, the Board determined that the veteran is not in need of regular aid and attendance due to his disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and status post right kidney anomaly due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a kidney condition, a bladder condition with blood in the urine, and chronic constipation with blood in the stool, all claimed as secondary to his service-connected intestinal schistosomiasis.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the claimed disabilities, including those related to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids, as well as his service connection claims for migraine headaches, nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), and left knee disability. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions or due to his laryngeal cancer, which may have been related to Agent Orange exposure. The case is being remanded for further review.

The Board has determined that the veteran's end stage renal disease was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not related to any event, injury, or disease during his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current brain and kidney impairments are caused by an injury she sustained during her inactive duty on September 9, 1994. As such, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's renal cancer is not service connected and denied his claim, as there was no evidence of a causal link between herbicide exposure and the development of the condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an advisory opinion from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology regarding the primary site of the veteran's cancer, specifically whether it was kidney or lung cancer.