Other conditions decisions — 2002

The Board has granted a 50% evaluation for generalized anxiety disorder, which includes dementia and organic brain syndrome as secondary to service-connected anxiety reaction.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for blurred vision and numbness in his legs, finding no current disability manifested by these conditions.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have additional disability of the feet due to surgery performed in June and July 1991, as there is no competent medical evidence linking such surgeries to his current condition.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen his claim of basic eligibility for VA disability benefits due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral hand disorder or arthritis, and concluded that the veteran's subjective complaints without confirmed diagnosis do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The VA granted service connection for conjunctivitis with history of hemorrhage and assigned a 10 percent evaluation from June 1, 1997. The veteran's conjunctivitis is manifested by minimal objective symptoms.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's residuals of a fracture of the right zygoma, finding that this disability is more severe than reflected by the current noncompensable evaluation due to findings of a slight facial cheek asymmetry and enlargement.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected peptic ulcer disease and fracture of the left big toe, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the hips, finding that there is no current clinical evidence showing the presence of this condition.

The Board has determined that the claimant's income exceeds the maximum annual income limit for improved death pension benefits, thus denying the claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral blepharitis and determined that it is not related to active service. The loss of sense of smell was not due to VA treatment.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder due to Agent Orange exposure was denied. The claim for malaria was also denied, and the veteran's PTSD claim was denied.,There is no evidence of a skin disorder caused by Agent Orange exposure or malaria in service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a personality disorder was granted, with the decision based on new and material evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for muscle pain, aches and spasms as well as for a sleep disorder, both of which were characterized as manifestations of undiagnosed illnesses. The evidence did not support the presence of chronic disabilities in either case.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left foot injury, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on moderately severe impairment. The preponderance of the evidence showed only degenerative arthritis and tenderness without significant swelling or limitation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a colloid cyst of the third ventricle of the brain and reactions to penicillin and Keflin, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not meet the criteria for burial benefits, including plot allowance and transportation expenses due to various reasons.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of perforated eardrums, finding that the veteran's current condition is related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected panic disorder without agoraphobia, currently rated at 10 percent. The evidence showed intermittent but controlled symptoms that did not significantly impair occupational and social functioning.

The Board has determined that the requirements for severing service connection for a mood disorder were not met at the time of the September 2000 rating decision, and therefore restoration of service connection is granted.