Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if hepatitis C is related to service, specifically jet injections. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as attempting to obtain in-patient hospitalization records from Germany. The Veteran's lower back disorder and hepatitis are being examined by a VA examiner to determine their etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of pneumonia and hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are not related to his military service. Service connection for bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeals of the determinations in the October 2010 and March 2012 rating decisions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issue for further development. The Veteran's claim is now being reviewed de novo.

The Veteran's hepatitis B has resolved and does not currently result in any symptoms that would warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by her representative, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and additional development is required before this claim can be adjudicated on the merits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing at the RO in Houston, Texas. The issues include service connection claims and rating disputes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting examinations for his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia of the patella is currently rated at 30 percent since September 1, 2012. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted for this condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess his employability due to his service-connected HIV and Hepatitis B disabilities. The RO will also consider whether referral of the case under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) for extraschedular consideration is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during his period of service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need to obtain records from the Board for Correction of Naval Records regarding the appellant's character of discharge. The issues of service connection for alcoholism and hepatitis C remain pending.

The Veteran's death was attributed to cryptogenic cirrhosis with myelodysplastic syndrome, but the VA examiner found no evidence that medications used for his service-connected conditions contributed to his death. The Board determined there is not sufficient evidence to establish a connection between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hepatitis is related to service and granted his claim for service connection. The hypertension issue remains pending as it was not addressed in the original decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and hepatitis C (claimed as a liver disorder) are not related to service or any incident of service. The claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of current hepatitis B or A, hypertension, or diverticulosis. The Veteran's STRs do not indicate any such conditions during service.,There is also no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD disability.