Other conditions decisions — 2002

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen his forfeiture of benefits, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's son, the appellant, is not eligible for dependents' educational assistance due to his age and the veteran's total disability status.

The veteran's service record shows an episode of pneumonia in 1945, but he does not have a current respiratory disorder. The Board found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology and concluded that the veteran did not have a current disability related to his service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by a malignant brain tumor, which is now considered a presumptive service-connected condition due to his exposure to ionizing radiation during military service. As such, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as L.T.R. was not the surviving spouse of the veteran and her pension benefits were terminated due to a prior valid common law marriage with W.B.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for ulcerative colitis secondary to a skull fracture disability and an increased rating for organic brain syndrome due to a skull fracture, finding no evidence of direct or secondary service connection.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of retinal detachment of the right eye, secondary to trauma, are currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left foot disorder is not due to or a result of his service-connected shell fragment wound, and thus denied his claim for secondary service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left heel condition was denied as there is no evidence of limitation of motion or x-ray findings of involvement in two or more joints.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service and not due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a disability rating greater than 30 percent for his right hip fracture, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase in rating.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the service-connected right elbow fracture residuals, finding that the current disability evaluation adequately reflects the veteran's symptoms and functional limitations.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a fracture of the bilateral pubic rami with mild sacroiliac separation, finding no symptoms associated with the condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for the veteran's dysthymic disorder, effective from the date of his death as it was found to be totally disabling due to the combined effects of service-connected and non-service connected conditions.

The veteran's service-connected treatment for dental trauma is granted, but she does not have a compensable disability due to the trauma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of malaria and typhus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the typhus claim.

The Board denied service connection for prostatitis, finding that the veteran did not have chronic prostatitis in service and currently does not have it. The medical evidence supported this conclusion.

The veteran's lumbar disability has more closely approximated the criteria for a pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome, and his claim for restoration of a 60 percent rating is granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for iritis and a ganglion cyst of the left foot, as well as his request for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis. The appeals are based on diagnoses from service records but lack current medical evidence to support these conditions.