Other conditions decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the effective date for a 40 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected back disability is March 8, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran's gait dysfunction is caused by his service-connected May 1994 cerebral vascular accident, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for esophageal cancer and arthritis, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected tendonitis of the right elbow and residuals of a stress fracture of the left femoral neck, status post internal fixation.

The veteran's cause of death, a pulmonary embolism due to nasopharyngeal cancer, is found to be related to his exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's right knee disability, characterized as patellofemoral pain syndrome with frequent episodes of locking and cartilage tear. The highest schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5258 is assigned.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran does not have fibrositis or any residual disability resulting from fibrositis and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his temporomandibular joint dysfunction, status post fracture of the mandible. The disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a skin disability and a stomach disability, finding that new and material evidence was not presented to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating and a temporary total rating due to lack of evidence supporting an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disorder and his cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, was not caused by exposure to ionizing radiation in service and did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The VA concluded that there was no reasonable possibility that the veteran's death was due to his exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Board denied a higher rating for the veteran's dorsal spine injury, finding that his disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or deformity.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have a disability manifested by memory loss and loss of concentration, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a back injury due to new and material evidence received since the November 1966 rating decision. The issue will now be addressed under a merits analysis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's nicotine dependence does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, as he stopped smoking in the early 1990s and is currently not dependent on nicotine. The COPD disability remains rated at 30 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chest pain and ingrown toenail, finding no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's pericarditis resolved in service without evidence of current disability. For hypoglycemia, the Board noted a history but did not find any disease related to service. The appeal is considered 'mixed' as some issues were granted and others were denied.