Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2007

The veteran's liver conditions, including hepatocellular carcinoma and elevated liver enzymes, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of these conditions during his active duty in Vietnam, nor within one year after separation. The presumptive link to Agent Orange exposure was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disability and hepatitis C were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his service, and his left knee disability is not found to be directly related to his service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus or right knee disability. The appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as he does not have daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia requiring dietary restriction or continuous medication; or incapacitating episodes with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain having at least two weeks but less than four weeks of total duration during the past 12 months.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver and diabetes mellitus were denied. The claim to reopen a psychiatric disorder was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis B and declined to reopen the claim for residuals of excision of osteochondroma of the left medial femoral condyle due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service and denied his claim for service connection. The PTSD issue is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a disability manifested by the residuals of hepatitis, as there is no clinical evidence of hepatitis.,There is also no service connection for heart disorder due to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C during service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the veteran's service-connected PTSD. Service connection for hepatitis was denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board found no current diagnosis of hepatitis or its residuals, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the veteran's residuals of Hepatitis C are related to his period of military service or any event thereof, and therefore denied the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C has not been productive of weight loss, hepatomegaly, or incapacitating episodes. Therefore, the disability more closely approximates a 20 percent rating than a 40 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7354.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C with secondary nephropathy is being reviewed.

The Board has ordered a new attempt to locate inpatient hospital records from Blanchfield Army Hospital for the veteran's right shoulder surgery, which is believed to have occurred in April or May 1976. The case will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his service-connected disabilities, but new evidence submitted since the last decision may suggest a connection between his service-connected conditions and his death.

The veteran's claims for throat cancer, a skin disorder related to Agent Orange exposure, and hepatitis C were all denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of throat cancer or any other service-connected skin disorders. Hepatitis C was granted as a presumptive condition due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examination in order to determine if the veteran's hepatitis C is related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed cirrhosis of the liver is not related to her service or any service-connected condition, and thus denied her claim for service connection.