Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for steatohepatitis and gastrointestinal impairment, to include chronic diarrhea and GERD. The claims for a chronic cough, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, facial scar, back disability, left hip disability, bilateral hand osteoarthritis, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension were denied.

Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, due to cirrhosis of the liver, is granted.

The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder, to include liver cancer as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and other than cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C.

The Board denied service connection for 20 conditions including depression, anxiety, and traumatic brain injury, finding insufficient evidence of in-service incurrence or nexus. The Board remanded three conditions (back condition, left lower extremity neuropathy, and left leg condition) for further adjudication.

The Board granted service connection for autoimmune hepatitis, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The appeal regarding an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension was dismissed.

The Board granted an initial 50 percent rating for the Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver with portal hypertension, Wilson's disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pancreatitis based on a history of one episode of hemorrhage from portal gastropathy.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and opinions addressing service connection theories.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected hepatitis C alone, as it was determined that his psychological symptoms and non-service-connected stroke were more significant factors in preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for cirrhosis of the liver/ruptured liver, normocytic anemia, malignant neoplasm of the thyroid, and chronic kidney disease stage II based on a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to in-service exposure or other in-service events.

The appeal of the December 2021 rating decision that denied an initial compensable rating for hepatitis C was dismissed as procedurally defective.

The Board denied service connection for pulmonary emphysema, gastroparesis, and granulomatous hepatitis due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or toxic exposure. The claim for left ventricular systolic dysfunction was remanded.

The Board remands the claim for additional development, including generating a TERA memorandum and obtaining an advisory medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a VA colonoscopy, but granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and a disorder of the epididymis.

The Board granted service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver, but remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to allow for further development.

The Board denied service connection for liver disease, arthritis, psychiatric disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by active military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including Fournier's gangrene of the scrotum with loss of right testicle, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anal fistula, Hepatitis B & C, GERD, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, due to a need for additional development regarding herbicide agent and ionizing radiation exposure.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as PTSD, and residuals of an in-service hepatitis C infection.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and a left eye disability, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied higher ratings for allergic rhinitis, hepatitis B and C, and chronic sinusitis but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 1, 2025.

The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD and remanded the claim for service connection for hepatitis C.