Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral foot rash, asbestosis, hepatitis, prostatitis, jungle rot/groin rash, and colon polyps. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected hepatitis is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct further development.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of hepatitis is not well grounded. The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current disability related to his in-service hepatitis. For PTSD, the veteran's claim for an increased rating is granted and he is assigned a 100% disability rating.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for residuals of a bilateral ankle injury and hepatitis, as well as the claim for an increased rating for right 5th metacarpal fracture. The claim for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C with cirrhosis, finding that there was no medical evidence of a nexus between the current disability and an in-service event.

The veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board denied all claims, finding that the veteran's claims were not well grounded and thus did not meet the initial burden of establishing a plausible claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for hepatitis C due to blood transfusions received at a VAMC, finding no competent medical evidence suggesting he developed the condition as a result of these transfusions.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a service-connected psychiatric disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder; a chancroid with lymphadenitis; or any other claimed conditions. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings was denied. Service connection for residuals of bilateral ankle injuries, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss were not granted. Service connection for allergic rhinitis and teeth 4, 18, 19, 30, and 31 was granted with the assigned ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected post-transfusion hepatitis and resulting cirrhosis of the liver, thus granting service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of hepatitis and a kidney disorder, finding that there is no competent evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis and PTSD, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active military service.

The veteran's hepatitis is currently rated at 60 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating as there are no episodes of liver damage or gastrointestinal symptoms warranting such a rating.

The Board has decided that the veteran's hepatitis is service-connected, based on direct evidence.

The Board has determined that the claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hepatitis are denied as there is no evidence to support a service connection claim.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis B, finding no new and material evidence to support it.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to his physical limitations, but independence in daily living activities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected infectious hepatitis did not result in any residual impairment and thus does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for chronic liver disease, claimed as hepatitis, is not well-grounded because there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis or disability.