Other conditions decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's fungal infection of the hands and feet was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence linking it to his active military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical examinations and clarification of exposure history.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding whether VA facilities were feasibly available and whether an application for admission was made within 72 hours of the appellant's admission.

The Board denied the appellant's petition to reopen her claim for revocation of forfeiture of VA benefits, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining a medical opinion and updating the claims file with any pertinent records. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's shell fragment wounds to the right hand and forearm.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to new evidence submitted, which relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim of left ankle fusion with iliac bone graft and osteomyelitis.

The VA Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire is requested to provide the veteran with VCAA compliant notice and obtain any relevant dental treatment records. The case will be returned for further review.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease was denied. The issue of service connection for bilateral eye condition (claimed as uveitis or iritis) is referred to the RO.,Service connection for bilateral varicocele and hemorrhoids was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's death due to colon cancer was not caused by or related to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code because the veteran is not permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disabilities.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, concluding that it was not incurred or aggravated by active duty and could not be presumed due to exposure to radiation, herbicides, chemicals, or nicotine dependence.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his GSW residuals to the right buttock and upper arm have been denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected postoperative residuals of fractures of the right femur and tibia with history of osteomyelitis, as well as for his residuals of a fracture of the right ulna. The appeals are REMANDED to the RO.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected residuals of bilateral trench feet, with a current rating of 10 percent in each foot.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for left testicle pain and loss of use of a creative organ due to an inguinal hernia repair performed at the Nashville VA Medical Center in February 1999. The case has been remanded for additional development, including obtaining records from Fort Campbell and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the effective date for the grant of service connection and a 50 percent disability evaluation for mood disorder should be May 6, 1998, not prior to it.

The veteran died of adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus. Since he was not service-connected for any disability at the time of his death, dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of an upper respiratory infection, finding no evidence of a chronic disability and no link to her military service.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected right knee disability and a TDIU.