Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's hepatitis C is remanded for additional development to obtain private medical records and a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C residuals, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis was less likely related to his military service due to other known risk factors such as being born between 1945 and 1965.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including bilateral knees, left wrist, low back, pinched nerves of upper extremities/neck, and hepatitis C are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will conduct further examinations and determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to unclear diagnoses and lack of opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Veteran's application to reopen his service connection claim for a liver disorder is granted. The Board finds that new and material evidence has been submitted, raising the possibility of substantiating the claim. However, the case is remanded as a new medical opinion is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for Hepatitis B is denied as he does not have current symptoms of the condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver have been reopened due to new and material evidence. However, his claim for prostate cancer remains denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Prostate cancer was not found based on the lack of a current diagnosis in the medical records.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted a rating of 40 percent prior to September 17, 2015 due to daily fatigue and malaise with hepatomegaly. From September 18, 2015 forward, the Veteran's condition is rated at 10 percent as his hepatitis C is in remission.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hepatic cirrhosis are granted with separate ratings, while the cellulitis is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder, hepatitis C, liver disease and cirrhosis, but denied service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, respiratory disability.

The Board denied service connection for a liver disability, including cirrhosis of the liver, as due to exposure to water contaminants at Camp Lejeune or to herbicide agents. An initial evaluation of 10 percent was granted for hypertension.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's gastric cancer and whether his service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his death. The VA will obtain treatment records from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and any other relevant sources, as well as a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's hepatitis C claim requires obtaining updated treatment records, including VA records. For his anxiety disorder, a new VA psychiatric examination is needed due to the significant time since his last evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against his claim and that it does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis B because there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hepatitis C and for an effective date earlier than December 17, 2015 for the grant of service connection for hepatitis C (originally claimed as hepatic dysfunction) has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including right shoulder disorder, neck disorder, hearing loss, rosacea, autoimmune hepatitis, hepatic steatosis, residuals of liver transplant, surgical scar, and hepatic encephalitis were all denied as they are not service-connected.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and PTSD have been rated at their current levels since March 14, 2012. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted for either condition.