Other conditions decisions — 2005

The veteran's cause of death was granted service connection, but the appellant is not legally entitled to additional accrued benefits as his child.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records and a VA examination to determine if the appellant's current right foot disability is related to his period of active service.

The veteran's death was not due to a service-connected condition, and he did not meet the criteria for burial benefits as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and a neurologist's opinion regarding the cause of death.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his umbilical hernia, status post surgical repair due to a lack of evidence demonstrating increased severity.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the upper right arm do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was not incurred in or aggravated by military service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not support a link between the disability and any incident of active duty, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected residuals of rheumatic fever with heart involvement, status post-aortic valve replacement was denied as the current rating of 30 percent is considered appropriate under both the old and new VA rating criteria.

The veteran's claim for service connection to extract Tooth 11 is denied as there was no dental trauma in service and the condition does not meet the criteria for compensation.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including a VA examination and informing the veteran of his right to due process regarding the examination. The appeal is not about service connection but rather pension purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for patellofemoral syndrome of both her left and right knees, as the evidence did not show that her disabilities presented an exceptional or unusual disability picture.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest, aspiration pneumonia, congestive cardiomyopathy, and normal pressure hydrocephalus) were not incurred in or aggravated by military service. The Board also determined that these conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board granted service connection for xeroderma and assigned a 30 percent rating effective May 25, 1999. The veteran's skin condition is manifested by blisters and itching, but does not require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs.

The Board found that the veteran's phlebitis and cellulitis of the right leg were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including a lightning strike during ACDUTRA.

The Board has determined that the veteran's peptic ulcer disease does not warrant a higher rating than the current 20 percent assigned.

The veteran's claim for service connection for chronic cystitis is granted, effective from August 14, 1959.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be fully adjudicated. This includes obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations for the veteran's pyelonephritis and verrucae of the hands.

The veteran's private physician reported that he had been treated for severe rhabdomyolysis due to taking cholesterol-lowering medication. The VA examiner opined that this did not represent negligence or omission on the part of VA, but an additional VA medical examination and records are needed.

The appellant does not have verified active military service with the U.S. Armed Forces and is therefore ineligible for VA benefits.

The veteran's service-connected psychoneurotic reaction, obsessive compulsive type with anxiety features and chronic post traumatic stress disorder is rated at 70 percent effective November 26, 2001.