Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic liver disability and gastrointestinal disability are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon disability, finding no competent medical evidence linking his current diagnosis or symptoms to his active service, including as due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has denied service connection for hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis. The Veteran's NOD on the denial of service connection for liver cirrhosis is considered timely, but a SOC addressing this issue must be issued before the case can be returned to the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial evaluations were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for hepatitis C, but not for the other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hepatitis C or any of the other claimed conditions due to military service. The Veteran's depression, fatigue, sinus abscess, tooth decay, and weight loss are not related to his active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C and depression are not related to her active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inextricably intertwined issues and insufficient examination for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hepatitis B or any residuals thereof, and thus service connection is denied.

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability was rated at 40 percent effective March 18, 2009. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's hepatitis C claim and granted service connection, finding that his current diagnosis is related to in-service risk factors such as unsafe sexual practices and obtaining tattoos.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and clarification of earlier effective date claims.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has resulted in no more than a mild decrease in energy level during 2005 drug treatment for the condition, and does not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Veteran died in March 2008 from heroin and ethanol toxicity. The cause of death is not yet determined, as the appeal is remanded for additional development.

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

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for hepatitis C with history of infectious hepatitis prior to March 27, 2007 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a factually ascertainable increase in symptomatology prior to this date warranting a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for Hepatitis C and right ankle strain, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active duty military service. The lumbar spine disability claim is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and increased the Veteran's disability rating for his degenerative disc disease from 50% to 100%. The claimant is entitled to a higher evaluation for his DDD.

The Veteran's hepatitis C with secondary cirrhosis is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of symptoms severe enough to warrant a higher rating. The TDIU claim is also denied as there are no service-connected disabilities meeting the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver has been rated at 60 percent since March 12, 1991. The current rating adequately compensates for his symptoms.