Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Veteran's Hodgkin's lymphoma is service-connected as secondary to exposure to benzene during active duty.,His pernicious anemia, diagnosed concurrently with his Hodgkin's lymphoma, is also service-connected as secondary to the same exposure.

The Veteran's back injury and numbness in the left foot are not deemed to be caused by VA treatment, including physical therapy during an Agent Orange examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his service-connected varicose veins of the right and left lower extremities. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the rating claims.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claims of service connection for bilateral hip disorder, arguing that the previous decisions were based on incorrect or incomplete evidence.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for a TDIU rating, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to consider this matter.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and lack of detail in the previous decision. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a visual impairment is being returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 24, 1995 for additional compensation for the Veteran's spouse based on previously established dependent status.

The Veteran's claim for a dependency allowance for R.A.R.F. is denied as the term 'child' does not include foster children or those who are not legally adopted, even if they have been appointed legal guardians.

The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that disequilibrium with pain resulting in an unstable gait was caused by service-connected tinnitus and/or bilateral onychomycosis. As such, the Veteran's gait disorder is granted secondary to service-connected disability.

The Veteran's dental condition is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining records from his private dentist and a VA examination to determine if the service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his current dental problems. The total disability rating claim will be deferred until the dental condition claim is resolved.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund due to lack of qualifying service.

The Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected right arm and shoulder disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, combine to cause death, or aid or lend assistance to the production of death. The VA specialist concluded that the Veteran's ischemic cardiomyopathy was more likely due to a combination of coronary artery disease and volume overload from the leaking heart valve.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a defect in obtaining relevant medical records from Northeast Medical Center Hospital. The appellant and her representative will have an opportunity to respond after any further action is taken.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's spinal stenosis is related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness to include vertigo and otitis media, finding that his pre-existing otitis media did not increase in severity during service.

The Veteran's residuals of a right Achilles tendon rupture have been manifested by symptoms and functional impairment of a 'moderate' foot injury. The Board finds that the disability picture does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing vitiligo was aggravated during active service and granted service connection for it. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a stomach disability is addressed in the REMAND section.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experiences sleep disturbances and neurological signs and symptoms characterized as brain dysfunction and dementia, which are presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness experienced during her service in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and clarification of medical opinions regarding his foot and nose disabilities.

The Board has determined that the appellant's spouse did not have qualifying service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, in the service of the United States Armed Forces. As a result, the decedent is not considered a 'veteran' for purposes of entitlement to VA benefits and the claim for DIC based on the decedent's service must be denied.