Other conditions decisions — 2009

The appellant was not the lawful spouse of the Veteran at the time of his death and is therefore not recognized as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hammer toe deformity of toes 4 to 5, right foot, as it was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to active military service or a service-connected disorder.

The appellant did not file a timely substantive appeal regarding the October 2005 decision that denied her application to reopen a claim of legal entitlement to VA death benefits.

The Veteran's claim for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, Title 38, United States Code was denied due to insufficient qualifying service.

The matter on appeal is being remanded to the VAMC for further development and adjudication.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's skin disability, currently identified as porphyria cutanea tarda, was incurred in active service.

The Board found that the early symptoms of a cerebral vascular accident, ultimately resulting in status post subarachnoid hemorrhage with some left hemiplegia were incurred during a period of INACDUTRA. However, there was no evidence to support a service connection for a myocardial infarction.

The appeal for additional vocational rehabilitation educational training is remanded for further development.

The Board finds that service connection for polymorphous light eruption is granted, as the evidence supports a link between the Veteran's diagnosed condition and her active service, specifically sun exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder was denied because there is no current diagnosis of a separate hip disability, and the evidence does not support that her hip pain is related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board grants service connection for Wegener's granulomatosis, finding that the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and lead paint during service could not be ruled out as a cause of his condition.

The Veteran's heart condition has not resulted in a workload of greater than 3 but less than 5 METs which results in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope; or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for residuals of a facial injury, finding no evidence that the scar was related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent medical evidence linking the current condition to active service.

The Board found that the persuasive evidence of record demonstrated that a chronic constipation disorder was not incurred or aggravated as a result of an incident, injury, or disease during active service and was not proximately due to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of post-operative pituitary adenoma are rated at 40 percent due to polyuria with near-continuous thirst and one or more episodes of dehydration in the past year not requiring parenteral hydration.

The appeal is remanded for further development of the evidence related to the Veteran's claimed exposure to coccidioides during Project SHAD.

The Veteran's arthritis of the hips was not linked to his military service, including exposure to cold.

The Board found that the appellant's deceased spouse did not have qualifying service and is therefore not a Veteran, making him ineligible for VA benefits.