Other conditions decisions — 2005

The veteran does not have at least 24 months of continuous active service, which is required for eligibility to VA education benefits administered under Chapter 30. The Board denied the claim as there is no legal basis for finding the veteran eligible.

The veteran's claim for restoration of a 100% schedular evaluation for non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma, now rated noncompensable (i.e., 0%), is being remanded due to procedural issues.

The veteran's appeal for Montgomery GI Bill Chapter 30 education benefits prior to December 22, 1998 was denied as the earliest possible date of commencement is December 22, 1998.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected right hand disability, including residuals of a fracture of the fourth and fifth metacarpals, does not warrant an increased rating beyond the currently assigned zero percent.

The Board has granted a 20% rating for the veteran's service-connected Reiter's Syndrome with multiple arthritides, effective from June 1, 2004. The condition is rated under DC 5002 as chronic residuals of rheumatoid arthritis.

The veteran's disability rating for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left foot was increased from 10 percent to 20 percent effective March 1998, but remains at the maximum schedular rating.

The Board found that the veteran's left eyelid ptosis does not meet criteria for a higher rating, as it is characterized by mild incomplete paralysis and no more than moderate disfigurement. The current 10% rating assigned under Diagnostic Code 8207 remains appropriate.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized private dental treatment was denied as he did not meet the legal conditions precedent for reimbursement under section 1728.

The veteran has a personality disorder but does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder other than alcohol dependence in remission. The Board finds that the veteran's personality disorder is not a disease within the meaning of applicable legislation for compensation purposes, and an acquired psychiatric disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the veteran's brain tumor was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied both issues of entitlement to service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or contributed to any service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and PTSD. The case does not involve a complex medical issue or controversy.

The VA determined that the veteran's Graves' disease was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Drs. McNeil and Lindsey at Morristown Regional Eye Care and securing all of the veteran's VA treatment records.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected residuals of left spontaneous pneumothorax, finding that it contributed to his current respiratory status but did not result in more than mild impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for suppurative hydradenitis, finding that the veteran's inservice treatment for an abscess on his right earlobe and postservice diagnosis of chronic suppurative hydradenitis supports this claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current sleep disorder or left eye conjunctivitis related to service and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied both his claim for service connection for the cause of death and his DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for each of the veteran's post-operative ventral hernias, finding that they are large and well-supported by an elastic belt.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic prostate disorder, finding that there was no evidence of such condition during active service or due to Agent Orange exposure. The Board also found that the veteran did not have any competent medical opinion linking his current prostate disorder to his military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the service-connected residuals of skin grafting of the right upper leg.