Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's hepatitis C resulted in near-constant and debilitating symptoms including fatigue, anorexia, arthralgia, weight loss, and malnutrition. He had multiple incapacitating episodes within the past year.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active service. Service connection was denied for hepatitis C due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus II, and thus granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of death. The claim for accrued benefits was also denied as there were no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, to include degenerative joint disease (DJD), but denied service connection for a liver disorder to include hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is not related to service. Service connection for hepatitis C due to Agent Orange exposure in Korea is granted. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from private providers and ensuring all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is service-connected, as it was incurred during his military service due to risk factors such as high-risk sexual activity. The other issues regarding hearing loss and right elbow condition are granted.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his right knee disability, right hip disability, and liver disorder. The goal is to obtain a complete record upon which the Board can make an informed decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during his active duty service and ruled against granting service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that hepatitis C did not worsen during his third period of active service and was not aggravated by military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, but remanded for further development regarding his claims of hepatitis C and low back disability.

The Veteran's hepatitis B disability is being remanded for additional medical examination and testing to determine if the liver enlargement warrants a higher rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis B, which was previously denied in July 2004. The Veteran is currently under medical care at Kaiser Permanente for a liver condition related to past exposure to hepatitis B during service.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and found that new and material evidence has been submitted. The specific theory of service connection is not specified in the decision summary.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and inadequate examination, which may affect the determination of service connection for hepatitis C.