Other conditions decisions — 2005

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for an annual clothing allowance, and the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board has awarded a 20 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected pilonidal cyst residuals, finding that his condition meets the criteria set forth in the VA Rating Schedule.

The Board has remanded the case due to discrepancies in medical evidence regarding Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and its relationship to service. The veteran needs a new VA examination.

The veteran's appeal for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability has been dismissed as the veteran died before final appellate consideration.

The Board has determined that the veteran's dysthymia is related to a sexual assault during service, and thus grants her claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to inconsistencies in the veteran's service entrance reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted an apportionment of the veteran's special monthly pension benefits in the amount of $200.00 per month to his estranged spouse, as she does not reside with him and he does not contribute reasonably to her support.

The Board denied service connection for motor neuron disease of undetermined etiology, claimed as post-polio syndrome, finding that there was no definite diagnosis of post-polio syndrome and no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's disability and his wartime merchant marine service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for amputation of the tip of his left third finger pad is denied.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for VA treatment records from Hampton VAMC and a specific medical opinion regarding the onset of the veteran's discoid lupus during active service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The Board found that there was no evidence linking the veteran's metastatic insulinoma to his military service, exposure to herbicides, or any other condition. As a result, the cause of death was not deemed service-connected.

The veteran has withdrawn their appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pancreatitis with multi-organ failure, gastritis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and mental incapacitation is due to service, including in response to immunizations.

The veteran's claim for TDIU was denied by the RO in December 2001, and this decision is being reviewed by the Board.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic pulmonary disorder is due to tobacco use during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a jaw injury was granted by the Board.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking the listed causes of death to his service or any conditions he may have had during service.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's enucleated right eye, currently rated at 40 percent. The RO found that his left eye vision loss did not meet criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant's late husband did not have qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces, as certified by the National Personnel Records Center. Therefore, the appellant is denied eligibility for VA benefits.

The Board found no evidence of a current eye disorder for VA purposes and denied the veteran's claim of service connection for an eye disorder. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to nonservice-connected pension benefits, initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae and asthma, and total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) will be addressed in a separate Board decision.