Other conditions decisions — 2007

The appellant is not entitled to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran seeks service connection for urethritis, which he claims had its onset during his military service in Germany. The VA has ordered a remand to schedule the veteran for an appropriate VA examination to determine the cause of his painful urination and whether it is related to active service.

The Board has granted the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left hand disability, finding that new and material evidence supports the claim. The Board also determined that the veteran had an increase in disability of his left hand during service.

The Board found that the veteran's skin disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The VA determined that the veteran's skin disorder, claimed as vitiligo, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and could not be presumed to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete and conflicting information regarding the appellant's need for regular aid and attendance. The appellant must provide medical records from her current residence, Life Care Center, and any other relevant treatment received since November 2003.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his right foot post-traumatic arthritis, finding that it only warrants a moderate impairment.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected skin disability, variously diagnosed as chronic urticaria, based on the objective and probative medical evidence of record being in equipoise as to whether his condition covers more than 40 percent of his entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected subcutaneous induration and calluses on the dorsum of his right foot do not warrant an increased evaluation, as there is no current residual disability from this injury.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the veteran's loss of taste and smell are secondary to his service-connected sinusitis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding the impact of his bromhidrosis on his occupational and social functioning.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the veteran's service-connected left hand injury, as there are no opinions addressing all symptomatology and diagnoses related to his condition.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's gastrectomy residuals, currently rated at 40 percent.

The veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a deviated nasal septum was denied. The RO initially granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable (0%) disability evaluation, which was later increased to 10%. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional information regarding alleged stressors and further examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's myeloproliferative disorder with myelofibrosis is related to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for chronic pancreatitis with cholecystojejunostomy was dismissed as it is not within the Board's jurisdiction due to a final decision in February 1985.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected fungal infection of the hands, groin, foot, and nails, finding that a 10 percent evaluation accurately reflected the severity of his condition. The Board also denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to unresolved factual questions regarding the etiology and date of onset of the veteran's bladder condition, which may have pre-existed service.