Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and issues related to service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disease, to include hepatitis B, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, heart disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, and peripheral neuropathy were denied. The claim for hepatitis C was granted but the Veteran is not entitled to an increased evaluation for diabetes mellitus or erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a deviated septum and non A, non B and non C hepatitis due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for further development, including an examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed condition.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claim can be adjudicated, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hepatitis C had its onset during active service or is related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis A and B were incurred during service, and he is entitled to service connection for these conditions. The laceration scar of the left forearm was not found to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death before a decision could be made.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for hepatitis C, claimed as due to VA inpatient treatment in 1985 is denied because there is no competent medical evidence showing that the Veteran received a blood transfusion or other blood products during his 1985 VA surgery and thus, the causation of his hepatitis C cannot be attributed to VA care.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C or hepatocellular cancer during service, and the preponderance of the evidence is against finding that these conditions were otherwise etiologically related to service. The Veteran's liver was normal five years after discharge from active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right eye disability, hepatitis, left hip disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral leg disability, and right foot and ankle disability. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for hepatitis C and TDIU, finding that there was no evidence of entitlement prior to May 14, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for his liver disorder with a history of hepatitis C and service connection for a stomach condition are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's death was not caused or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The cause of death, carcinoma of unknown primary site (poorly differentiated papillary carcinoma), was not related to his military service.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected infectious hepatitis caused or contributed to his development of hepatitis C, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C as secondary to service-connected infectious hepatitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during service and denied his claim for service connection.