Other conditions decisions — 2004

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the appellant's dysthymic disorder, which approximates symptoms of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered with application of all appropriate laws and regulations.

The appeal is being remanded due to incomplete financial information and the need for VCAA compliance. The appellant, veteran, and their representative will be provided with a supplemental statement of the case after any necessary development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for disability compensation for a left eye disorder secondary to anatomical loss of the right eye and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for headaches.,There was no evidence showing that the veteran's current left eye disorders were caused by or aggravated by his anatomical loss of the right eye.

The VA has granted a 100 percent evaluation for somatoform disorder effective from August 9, 1999.

The veteran is seeking compensation for a thyoma, which he claims was caused by negligent or careless treatment at the VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain medical records and an opinion from a VA physician.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits, finding that his service with the Philippine Scouts did not qualify him for such benefits due to a statutory provision.

The veteran's death and the appellant's status as his surviving spouse are in dispute. The appeal is remanded to gather more information about their marital status, including any common law marriage after their divorce.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 10 percent for his status post crush injury to the 3rd digit, right hand.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disorder resulting from service or within one year of leaving service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining pertinent medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's rectal cancer and skin disorder.

The Board denied a higher rating for fractures of the left radius and ulna, finding that the current 10 percent evaluation is the highest possible under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board found that the veteran's stroke residuals were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran claims that he suffers from chronic imbalance, which he asserts is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus. The case is being remanded for further development of the claim.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the service-connected urethral stricture, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent since July 30, 2001 and found no basis to grant a higher rating prior to that date.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, maxillary carcinoma, was not service-connected as it did not occur during or due to his military service.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the veteran's psychophysiological gastrointestinal (GI) reaction with achalasia of the esophagus, maintaining the current 30 percent rating.

The Board finds that there is no medical evidence of a current diagnosis of prostatitis or of a nexus between the claimed disability and service. The veteran's left calcaneal spur is not related to his participation in VA vocational rehabilitation.

The case is being returned to the RO for further development due to incomplete medical records from Social Security Administration evaluations of the veteran's child.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for eye disability, including bilateral cataracts and myopia. The examiner found that his visual complaints can all be traced back to his extreme myopia which is a congenital condition.