Other conditions decisions — 2003

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and respiratory disorder, both claimed as due to undiagnosed illness. The skin disorder was found attributable to known clinical diagnoses, while the respiratory disorder was attributed to deconditioning and obesity.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for chest pains, concluding that there is no persuasive medical evidence of a chronic disability manifested by chest pain attributable to an undiagnosed illness related to his Gulf War service.

The veteran's stomach cancer was not present until many years after separation from service and was not caused by exposure to Agent Orange or ionizing radiation in service. As such, the Board found that a disability incurred in or aggravated by service did not cause or contribute to the veteran's death.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic gastrointestinal disability, including peptic ulcer disease for which he had a gastric resection, did not begin during service and was not caused by any incident of service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted initial noncompensable and 10% ratings for the veteran's service-connected left foot disability, effective June 1, 1992, December 16, 1993, and August 2, 1996 respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current Reiter's syndrome with associated spondylitis resulted from events in service, specifically an infection following tooth extraction in December 1960. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for herpes simplex, finding that it was incurred during active service. The issue of service connection for right inguinal hernia as secondary to medications for service connected hypertension is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, finding that the veteran's current condition is related to his in-service sun exposure while stationed on a ship in the Caribbean.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bladder dysfunction has been granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent effective from February 17, 1994.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's emphysema to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of his rectal cancer, finding no evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher evaluations for his service-connected residuals of a fracture of the left scapula and residuals of a laceration of the left third finger and thumb, with healed fractures of the left second, third, and fifth fingers. The evidence did not show that these conditions warranted a compensable evaluation.

The veteran developed symptoms consistent with benign prostatic hypertrophy in service and has been symptomatic since then. The VA medical opinion supports the claim that this condition began during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to fulfill VCAA duties, and the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder will be reconsidered.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for night sweats as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness due to lack of medical evidence and because he currently does not have objective clinical indications of night sweats.

The Board has determined that the veteran's ilioinguinal nerve entrapment does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as there is no evidence of severe to complete paralysis or mild/moderate paralysis.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disease, including hypertensive vascular disease. The decision is based on the conclusion that there was no evidence showing a permanent increase in severity beyond natural progression during service.

The VA has determined that the appellant's dysthymia warrants a 30 percent evaluation, reflecting moderate impairment in occupational and social functioning.