Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including new VA medical examinations to address whether the Veteran's hepatitis or emphysema had onset during service and were caused by his active service. The appeal is now pending again with the AOJ.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 10 percent since October 2005. The evidence does not support a higher rating as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that hepatitis C is attributable to service and grants the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chemical hepatitis is not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, but it may be aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The appeal for secondary service connection is granted.

The Veteran's initial rating for hepatitis C was granted and rated as cirrhosis of the liver, with a 50% rating effective January 2013. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus disability has been rated at 20%, but is denied an increased rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service or any service-connected disability, and therefore denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and provide a VA examination regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding his HCV. The claims are pending further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicides, and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hepatitis B, and bilateral pes planus in August 2007. The RO has since reopened the claim for hepatitis B but denied it again due to lack of new and material evidence. The issue of service connection for PTSD is remanded.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his intravenous drug use during active service, and as such, he is barred from establishing service connection for this disability due to willful misconduct. The arthritis of the right ankle did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of an unspecified virus, claimed as malaria and/or hepatitis, and a stomach disorder, claiming it is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been decided. The grant of CAD, TDIU, and DEA benefits are upheld with the effective dates set at November 9, 1999. However, the reduction in rating for left lower extremity neuropathy is found to be proper.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for Hepatitis C and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The case is now remanded to schedule a VA examination to determine if the current diagnosis of Hepatitis C had its onset during or is related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board found that hepatitis C with peripheral neuropathy was not due to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for autoimmune hepatitis, finding that there was no evidence of a link between his military service and his condition. The Board also found that the Veteran's autoimmune hepatitis was not secondary to his service-connected sarcoidosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion, as well as additional development of the record.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking his myelodysplasia and cirrhosis of the liver to service, including exposure to benzene or other chemicals.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been manifested by some weight loss and right upper quadrant pain, but no evidence of anorexia or near-constant debilitating symptoms. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher rating are not met.