Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for cirrhosis of the liver as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before this claim can be decided.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Hepatitis C has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's hemochromatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for HTLV 1 and 2, anxiety and depression, peripheral neuropathy of the arms and legs, hepatitis C, and prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides is dismissed due to withdrawal.,Veteran has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of malaria or hepatitis, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and applying the benefit of the doubt to find that his current condition is related to his active military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current chronic lymphocytic leukemia and liver disorder are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicides or other potential causative factors.

The Veteran's claim for SMC for loss of use of a creative organ is being remanded. The issue to reopen his hepatitis service connection claim has also been remanded and will be addressed in the new SOC.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C was reopened and granted. His claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.

The Veteran's ulcerative colitis is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The mixed anxiety-depressive disorder has been granted an increased rating to 50 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the lack of a statement of the case (SOC) addressing these issues. The Veteran must be provided with an SOC so that he can file a substantive appeal if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board found no service connection for the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder or Hepatitis B due to lack of in-service incurrence and credible medical evidence. The claims were denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; skin disorder, including psoriatic arthritis; liver disorder, including cirrhosis; portal hypertension; and esophageal disorder prior to a decision by the Board.

The Board denied service connection for Hepatitis C and Actinic keratosis, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.,Both conditions are considered to have been caused by the Veteran's own willful misconduct (Hepatitis C) and lack of exposure to herbicide agents (Actinic keratosis).

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection for a right ankle disability and hepatitis C. The Board found no current right ankle disability, and the VA examiner could not provide an etiology opinion without resorting to speculation.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized non-VA medical expenses incurred at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center from March 29, 2007 to April 5, 2007 is denied because he did not receive VA healthcare within the 24-month period preceding his emergency treatment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for congestive heart failure, primary biliary cirrhosis, hiatal hernia, hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), and prostate cancer are denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD, and for adjudication of his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis C and a back disorder due to incomplete examination reports, lack of medical records, and need for further development.

The VA determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim.