Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2015

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been received. The Veteran was presumed exposed to herbicides in Vietnam during his active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hepatitis C did not manifest in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and providing addendum opinions from medical professionals.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hepatitis C, claiming it was caused by shared needles during air gun immunizations in military service. The Board has remanded the case to obtain a supplemental opinion addressing the etiology of his hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and hepatitis C are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Johns Hopkins Hospital and providing another VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient rationale in previous medical opinions.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for hepatitis C, depression, and obstructive sleep apnea. The case is REMANDED to obtain outstanding VA treatment records, military personnel records, and determine the nature and likely etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's steatohepatitis with moderate steatosis and mild periportal fibrosis is considered a current chronic liver disorder that was incurred during military service.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic knee disability during service or until many years after discharge, and thus denied the claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees. For hepatitis C, there was no in-service diagnosis or exposure to known risk factors, and the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inconclusive VA examination and a need for further evaluation of the relationship between fecal incontinence and service-connected hepatitis C, including any medications used.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 20 percent since August 18, 2005. The Board found that the current evidence does not warrant a higher rating as there is no objective showing of hepatomegaly or weight loss, and his functional impact was described as fatigue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of hepatitis was denied as there is no evidence that the disease manifested during or was otherwise related to his military service.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for hepatitis C, concluding that there was no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have hepatitis C and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to active military service and denied his claim. The hypertension issue was remanded as there may be an association with Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected liver cirrhosis, which developed from chronic active hepatitis caused by an in-service blood transfusion. The Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for a higher initial rating for PTSD, for a TDIU and for service connection for hepatitis C prior to the Board's decision.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hepatitis C is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C is related to service, as it was first diagnosed in 2002 during active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and remission based on HVC blood testing. The Board granted service connection for hepatitis C.