Other conditions decisions — 2000

The veteran's De Quervain's tendonitis and ganglion cyst, right wrist, status postoperative De Quervain's release and ganglion cystectomy is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of additional disability resulting from the administration of medication by a VA facility in April and May 1996, thus denying the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder as due to an undiagnosed illness is not well-grounded and denied it.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for degenerative joint disease and found it well grounded. However, further medical examination is needed to determine if the current condition is related to military service.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's residuals of surgery to remove the right distal clavicle, effective from October 31, 1996.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder, claimed as scoliosis, is not well-grounded.

The Board denied service connection for vision impairment and fungal infection of the feet, finding no competent medical evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a personality disorder was denied because there is no evidence showing that the condition originated during or as a result of his military service, and specifically, no evidence linking it to any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a disability of his lower teeth, finding that there was no evidence to support the claim and thus it was not well-grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of more than 40 percent for his service-connected left eye disability, finding that he is blind in only one eye and thus not eligible for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted for the veteran's right ankle disorder, and an effective date of July 17, 1996, for the award of a 10 percent evaluation for service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right fibula is granted.

The Board has remanded the case to address whether the claim for service connection for PTSD is well grounded in light of the additional evidence submitted by the veteran, including a January 1997 VA hospitalization discharge summary which reflected in part a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lung disorder but denied it on the merits. The incisional hernia claim was also denied.

The Board found no current left eye disability related to the veteran's inservice facial burns and resultant service-connected conditions, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for nosebleeds and coughing up blood due to asbestos exposure as it was not well-grounded.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral optic nerve Drusen with secondary optic atrophy and loss of peripheral vision did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 60 percent, as his visual acuity was no worse than 20/25 in both eyes and his average concentric contraction of visual fields was between 13-51 degrees on the right eye and 26-55 degrees on the left eye. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation was therefore denied.

The VA has granted service connection for traumatic tarsal tunnel syndrome of the right foot and assigned a 20 percent disability evaluation effective February 1, 1992. The veteran's symptoms have not met criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the claims for increased rating for malaria, CUE claim regarding the reduction of disability rating from 10 percent to noncompensable in July 1947, and service connection for a psychiatric disability secondary to malaria. The decision also noted that there was no evidence of active disease or relapse since June 1946.

The Board found that the veteran's current stomach, skin, and dental conditions are not related to his period of active service. The claims for these conditions were therefore denied as not well grounded.

The Board in December 1997 denied service connection for memory dysfunction due to alcohol abuse, but the decision is found to contain clear and unmistakable error.