Other conditions decisions — 2003

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining evidence and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran is seeking higher disability ratings for his service-connected dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for infertility and elevated calcium, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels as residuals of Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a stroke, including due to exposure to Agent Orange, as there was no evidence showing that his strokes were incurred in or aggravated by service. The disability did not manifest within one year of discharge and is not listed among diseases presumed to be caused by herbicide agent exposure.

The Board found that the veteran's shrapnel wound of the right eye did not result in any compensable disability, as his visual acuity and field examination were normal.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a gastrectomy with psychophysiological gastrointestinal reaction and pernicious anemia, do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment given his educational background and prior work experience.

The veteran's additional disability of the upper extremities, including shoulder weakness and loss of function, is denied as it was a necessary consequence of the VA surgery in October 1993 to treat his cancer.

The veteran's left arm disability is not considered additional disability due to VA treatment, as the current condition was a result of prior injury and surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing disability did not worsen during service and is therefore not service-connected.

The Board denied an increased initial disability rating for retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee, finding that the veteran's condition warranted a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for a Travel Board hearing, and then it will be returned to the Board.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right elbow lateral epicondylitis does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as there is no objective evidence of painful motion or other functional impairment. The current range of motion for the right elbow is within normal limits.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation of 20 percent for the veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, finding that his symptoms have been moderate and continuous over several years.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, which was previously denied in October 1997. The veteran's current skin condition may have been caused by exposure during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral eye disability, finding that myopic astigmatism and presbyopia are not recognized as disabilities for compensation purposes.

The Board finds that the veteran's brain tumor was not incurred in or aggravated by military service, and is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right elbow disability is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected left elbow disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the veteran's dental trauma, either as a direct result of his military service or secondary to his service-connected chin laceration. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his residuals of a gunshot wound to the neck, finding that the current manifestations do not warrant a higher rating.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 because they determined that no additional disability involving cardiac problems was proximately caused by their treatment on December 28, 1992.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for memory impairment secondary to service-connected spinal meningitis, finding that there is no evidence linking the current disability to his military service.