Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with its previous directives. The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is being returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and reopening of service connection claims related to his knee conditions, low back strain, tinnitus, and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of appendix removal, gall bladder removal, vision disorder, body sweats, hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, tinnitus, colon cancer (also claimed as partial colon/intestinal removal), testicular cancer and removal, Barrett's esophagus, right foot peripheral neuropathy, left foot peripheral neuropathy, right hand peripheral neuropathy, left hand peripheral neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee disability, left knee disability, hepatitis C, malaise, neck surgery broken vertebra, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, subcutaneous cell carcinoma, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been withdrawn. The remaining issues of service connection for hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus are REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C and multiple joint pain due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C. The examiner needs to consider the Veteran's statements that he did not share needles during his IV drug use and address whether IV drug use without sharing is a risk factor for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for cold injuries to various parts of his body and hepatitis C have been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal for these issues, but granted service connection for cirrhosis of the liver as secondary to hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hepatitis C has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hepatitis residuals and right knee degenerative arthritis are both granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least as likely as not that these conditions were incurred during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issues of service connection for neck condition and left arm condition (secondary to neck condition). The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, neurobehavioral effects, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, autoimmune disease, auto hepatitis, and osteoporosis have been remanded due to the need for additional development of her service personnel records and VA treatment records.,The Veteran has requested a withdrawal of her claims for bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and renal disease, finding that there was no causal relationship between these conditions and exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water (CLCW). The Veteran's currently diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (cirrhosis) and chronic kidney disease are not among the listed diseases in 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(f), which would allow for presumptive service connection due to exposure to CLCW.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's hepatitis C since the effective date of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were related to his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for Hepatitis C was remanded due to the Veteran's in-service and post-service drug use associated with his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of hepatitis C due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver prior to February 4, 2010 is denied. The Board found no underlying claim and therefore no effective date earlier than February 4, 2010. For the period before February 6, 2012, the Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, myositis (myopathy), hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and prostate cancer due to lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is related to his service-connected Hepatitis C, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board has expanded the psychiatric claim to include all acquired psychiatric disabilities, and it is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these claims. Gout, right lower extremity disability, left lower extremity disability, bilateral hearing loss, chronic liver disease (including hepatitis C), and back disability are also remanded due to lack of sufficient medical evidence.