Other conditions decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of adenomyosis, and thus the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to obtain necessary medical records from Dr. Weinstein, and advises that the appellant should submit a statement from Dr. Weinstein linking his current skin cancer to service exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA psychological examination to determine if the appellant's periods of AWOLs were due to an acquired psychiatric disability, and whether he met the criteria for insanity under VA regulations.

The Veteran's lung condition, characterized by calcified nodules in the left lower lung, was rated at 10 percent prior to July 19, 2010 and remains at that rating after that date. The Board finds no evidence of disability warranting a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left arm disability, diagnosed as puncture wound of the left forearm, is granted. The Board finds that his in-service injury and current diagnosis are sufficient to establish service connection.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed allergies are not related to his service or herbicide exposure, and the Board finds that they do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a prostate condition during service and concluded that the current prostate condition is not related to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, to include a psychosis. His claim for service connection was denied as he did not meet the 'current disability' requirement.

The Veteran's grandson, who was not legally adopted by the Veteran and his spouse, does not meet the eligibility criteria for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35 of Title 38, United States Code.

The Board found that the Veteran's current skin disorder, diagnosed as tinea infections (fungal), was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to his in-service urticaria. The claim for service connection for a skin disorder was denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's delusional disorder, which was not service-connected at the time of his death, did not substantially contribute to his cause of death (hypothermia). The opinion from Dr. Spangher supports a finding that the delusional disorder began during or shortly after service.

The Veteran's gout is presumed to have been incurred in service due to symptoms observed within one year of separation.

The Veteran's right eye disability, characterized by symptoms of irritation and less than nominal visual acuity, has been rated at 10 percent for over a decade. The most recent VA examination in July 2010 confirmed the severity of his condition with corrected far vision Snellen index of 20/30 in the right eye.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a one-time payment from the FVEC fund as he did not meet the basic eligibility requirements due to lack of service in the United States Armed Forces.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disorder, including skin and neurological disorders, is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. The case will be adjudicated again after the necessary examinations are conducted.

The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, claimed as throat cancer, due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's private medical records have not been received and a sworn statement from another veteran has not been considered.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a skin disorder, finding no credible evidence linking his current condition to his in-service exposure to Thorazine during chemical testing. The STRs were negative for any complaints or diagnoses related to a skin disorder.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at The University Hospital from June 2 to June 4, 2006 are approved as the VA facilities were not feasibly available and an attempt to use them beforehand would not have been reasonable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psoas abscess, previously diagnosed as Crohn's disease, warrants a 10 percent rating since February 12, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and higher ratings for his psychiatric disability was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's hearing loss should be re-evaluated to assess its impact on employment.