Other conditions decisions — 2000

The veteran is seeking compensation under the 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a dental disorder that occurred during his VA hospitalization in 1948, when twenty of his teeth were removed to alleviate headaches and psychiatric symptoms. He contends these teeth should not have been removed and he has had difficulty maintaining his remaining teeth since then.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal regarding his claims for service connection for residuals of flash burns and residuals of exposure to phosgene gas, thus dismissing the appeal.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a pulmonary disability, secondary to his service-connected hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

The Board denied the claim for service connection of artery disease/peripheral vascular disease as secondary to hypertrophic lichen planus. However, it granted an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for hypertrophic lichen planus.

The Board has determined that the veteran is currently employed as a social worker and does not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board found that the veteran's rickets existed prior to service and did not increase in severity during or as a result of service. The claim is denied.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of head injury and a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's gunshot wound to the right index finger.

The veteran's condition has been rated as 20 percent disabling for thoracic outlet syndrome with cephalalgia since December 16, 1988. The Board found that the evaluation of this disability is not warranted in excess of 20 percent.

The veteran's minimal chronic laryngeal changes are presumed to have been incurred in service due to his qualifying full body mustard gas exposure. Service connection is granted for this condition. However, the veteran's actinic keratoses are not presumed to be related to mustard gas exposure and are denied as a claim of secondary service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased initial ratings for his service-connected patella femoral syndrome of the right and left knees, finding that an increase in disability severity did not warrant a higher rating prior to December 8, 1998, or subsequent to that date.

The Board has determined that the appellant's degenerative joint disease and scoliosis of the cervical and thoracic spine are proximately due to or the result of a service-connected left clavicle fracture.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right femur disability does not warrant an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent evaluation.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a prostate disability due to lack of evidence of current existence of such disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of fracture of the nose, consisting of a deviated nasal septum, warrants restoration of a 10 percent rating for the period from June 1, 1981, through September 30, 1982. For the current evaluation, the Board has determined that a 10 percent rating is warranted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected calluses of the bilateral feet, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claim for service connection for osteomyelitis of the left femur was denied in August 1959. The Board dismissed the appeal because the notice of disagreement was not timely filed.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected left hip total replacement residuals is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development.

The veteran died from a non-service-connected cause and did not meet the criteria for burial benefits as he was not in receipt of service-connected disability compensation at any time, nor had a pending claim. The appeal is denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral ear disorder and finds that it is well-grounded. The veteran's current hearing loss is related to his military service, resulting in a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral foot condition. The case is now remanded for further development.