Other conditions decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining ship logs and a VA eye examination. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cholecystectomy with hiatal hernia warrants a 30 percent evaluation, reflecting her symptoms of epigastric distress, dysphagia, pyrosis, and substernal pain.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran's left hip/leg disorder is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected low back disability.

The VA treatment in December 1981 caused the veteran's right hip disability, and this claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examination and medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's respiratory disorder, which may be related to service exposure. The appeal is pending further action.

The veteran seeks service connection for a right knee disorder, which he claims is related to an in-service injury. The Board has ordered remand due to the need for additional development of his case.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip disorder, finding that his current hip and sacroiliac disorders are not related to his service-connected left ankle disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's fatigue.

The veteran's bunion with fracture of the right toe is rated at 10 percent, and her fungal skin condition of the feet does not meet criteria for a compensable rating. The veteran's wrist disabilities are rated as ten percent each.

The Board found no additional disability or causal relationship between the veteran's right inguinal hernia repair and his impotency, thus denying compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The veteran's claim for non-service-connected disability pension was denied as he did not have qualifying active service during a period of war.

The veteran's cause of death, a malignant brain tumor (glioblastoma), was not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides. The Board found no evidence linking the brain tumor to his time in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bursitis of the left hip does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, as there is no evidence of functional impairment.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right femur fracture was denied. The claims for compensable ratings for scars and the reopening of PTSD service connection were also denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim, finding that his discharge from military service was due to willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a bar to VA compensation and pension benefits.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the carcinoma of ampulla of Vater to service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Board concluded that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between the veteran's service and his fatal cancer.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right eye retinal detachment, status post repair, with blindness is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury of the right eye and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the appellant's preexisting psoriatic arthritis of the left elbow was aggravated in service, beyond its normal progression. Therefore, service connection is granted for this disability based on aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the apportionment awarded in August 2004 was valid and whether MAB is entitled to benefits due to her status as a spouse of the veteran.

The veteran's dysthymic disorder is manifested by symptoms such as anxiety, agitation around others, difficulty in family and occupational relationships, auditory hallucinations, sleep impairment, and continued feelings of depression. The disability results in mild to moderate social and occupational impairment warranting a 30 percent evaluation.