Other conditions decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have rectal cancer or any residuals therefrom, and thus service connection for rectal cancer is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for costochondritis, finding that the veteran's current chest pain is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has vacated a previous decision and remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for gynecomastia as secondary to the veteran's service-connected idiopathic angioneurotic edema. The left elbow disability claim is remanded due to a lack of a VA examination.

The Board has found that the appellant is the veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes, resolving any legal impediments and establishing continuous cohabitation.

The veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease at L4-S1 does not result in loss of use of one or both feet, and therefore she is not entitled to automobile and adaptive equipment.

The appellant's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate, and her claims for improved death pension benefits, accrued benefits, and burial benefits are denied.

The veteran's service connection claims for joint pain, muscle pain, memory loss, fatigue, decreased concentration, and weight loss have been granted due to objective indications of chronic disability since service. The sleep disorder claim has also been granted under the provisions of the Persian Gulf War presumptions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current schizoaffective disorder is causally linked to a psychotic decompensation experienced during military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left little finger deformity does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it is currently rated noncompensably (0%) due to ankylosis of the interphalangeal joint. The maximum schedular rating available for this condition is also noncompensable.

The veteran's case is being remanded for a current examination to determine if the service-connected disabilities render her helpless or so nearly helpless as to require regular aid and attendance. The appeal will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right superior pubic ramus is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right index finger deformity is not due to an injury incurred in service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected Bartholin's cyst, effective from when the claim was filed.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected costochondritis, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's daughter has been diagnosed with spina bifida occulta, but not other forms of spina bifida. As a result, she is not entitled to the benefit sought under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805.

The Board found that the veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual rate for pension benefits, leading to the termination of her nonservice-connected pension benefits from June 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 2, 2004 for the award of pension benefits due to the veteran's permanent and total disability from a right inguinal hernia. The earlier effective date is based on the veteran's inability to file a claim within the first 30 days following his becoming permanently disabled.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a hernia disability and hydrocele, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or presumptive exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right (major) first metacarpal fracture, resolving in favor of the veteran.