Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board found that the evidence does not support a service connection for residuals of head trauma, as there is no credible medical evidence linking current disabilities to in-service head injuries.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left lung nodule, finding no evidence linking this condition to his military service.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have residuals of pneumonia resulting from service, as there is no evidence of chronic residual lung disability. The VA examiner opined that there were no current residuals of pneumonia related to in-service treatment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records from the veteran's 1989 hospitalization and arranging for a VA examination. The issue of service connection for a liver condition other than a cyst remains on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for fatigue as an undiagnosed illness and increased ratings for epicondylitis of both elbows. The veteran's claims are otherwise denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to October 2, 2000 and 40 percent from October 2, 2000.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected deviated nasal septum does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability evaluation.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a spinal tap, finding that there is no competent medical evidence to support this claim and concluding that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected ventral hernia, effective from when the noncompensable rating was initially assigned in July 2004.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability, including refractive error and retinal degeneration, finding that there is no evidence of in-service aggravation or disease.

The Board has determined that the veteran's prostatitis is related to his service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The scar at the tip of the penis does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic gastrointestinal disability in service and concluded that the veteran's current symptoms are due to his congenital condition, Meckel's diverticulum. Therefore, service connection for diverticulitis was denied.

The veteran's left knee disorder was evaluated at a 10 percent rating from February 2, 2000, to January 8, 2006. The Board denied his claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent and also denied his TDIU claim due to the service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for fibrocystic breast disease and a deviated nasal septum, both of which are considered direct service connections. The veteran's claims for other conditions have been denied.

The veteran's claim for an initial increased rating for corns on the left foot is being remanded due to his request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board found that the appellant does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound, as her medical evidence did not show she is blind, in a nursing home due to incapacity, or substantially confined to her home. The claim was therefore denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's traumatic arthritis of the sacroiliac joints does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher disability evaluation.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the veteran's cause of death due to new and material evidence submitted. However, the claim was denied on the merits as the cause of death (histiocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) is not considered service-connected.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the underlying merits of the veteran's secondary service connection claims, including his claim for tremors as secondary to his hiatal hernia with GERD.