Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for seminoma of the left testicle and lymphoma, both claimed as due to in-service Agent Orange exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service or presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his dysthymic disorder is being remanded due to allegations of worsening symptoms and the need for additional VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and for eligibility for Dependent's Educational Assistance (DEA). The cause of the veteran's death was not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have residuals of a left ear injury, including a claimed perforated tympanic membrane. As there is no current disability to support service connection, the claim for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's congenital malformation of the pons and hemorrhage of the pons were not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor is there evidence to support a finding that they are proximately caused by a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted a waiver of the recovery of an overpayment in the amount of $3,000 due to financial hardship and undue financial burden.

The veteran's service-connected left thigh shrapnel wound with retained foreign body is not the cause of his back disorder and right foot drop, nor does he have a separate disability for left foot drop. The VA has granted an increased rating to 10%.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of lip cancer. The veteran's claim for PTSD is addressed in a separate REMAND.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for clarification of medical opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and provide a medical opinion on these issues.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim, which is a medical nexus between the veteran's cause of death (recurrent metastatic extragonadal seminoma) and his military service.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence showing the veteran currently has residuals of a chin injury related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and readjudication due to procedural deficiencies, including notifying Z's custodian of the veteran's September 2005 Travel Board hearing.

The veteran's porphyria cutanea tarda was not shown to have had onset during service, and there is no evidence that it was caused by exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to re-adjudicate the appellant's claim for VA death pension benefits due to unclear determinations in the original decision and incomplete information provided by the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for basic eligibility for VA benefits due to a lack of valid military service in the United States Armed Forces.

The Board found no relationship between the veteran's service and his current left eye disability, concluding that there is no evidence of a traumatic injury during service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The VA reviewing physician determined that the service-connected Reiter's syndrome did not contribute to the veteran's death. The Board finds this opinion credible and concludes that there is no evidence showing a causal link between the service-connected condition and the cause of death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that esophageal cancer did not have its onset during active military service and is not a disease presumed to be related to herbicide exposure. The Board also found no evidence linking the esophageal cancer to any other condition or incident in service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.