Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board has granted service connection for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lymph nodes due to primary squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, which is presumed to have been incurred during military service due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hallux valgus deformities, finding that they were not etiologically related to service or the osteotomy performed in service. The Veteran appealed this decision and the Court remanded it back to the Board to address whether her hallux valgus deformities were aggravated by her service-connected limitation of motion of the left second metatarsal.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of July 29, 2009 for the assignment of a 10 percent disability rating for degenerative joint disease and a 20 percent disability rating for instability in his left knee.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a dental disability for VA compensation purposes and denied his claim.

The Board found that squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil was not incurred in or aggravated by service and could not be presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a chronic gastrointestinal disability and denied his claim for service connection for gastroenteritis.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have an additional disability as a result of the July 1996 surgery at Palo Alto VA Medical Center, and thus, compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, multi-organ failure and AML, was not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking his exposure to radiation or chemical/biological warfare agents during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's dental disabilities and assigned a 30 percent rating, effective from the date of the grant of service connection.

The VA examiner found that the Veteran's right lung nodule is less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service, including exposure to dust and fuel in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected gastritis is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased rating for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further proceedings and compliance with directives specified in a Joint Motion. The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 60 percent from June 14, 2006, for chronic pulmonary emboli associated with thrombophlebitis of the left leg and varicose veins is being remanded due to inadequate evaluation of his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative residuals of an inguinal hernia repair has been granted, but the appeal is dismissed as there are no unresolved issues remaining.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracic inlet syndrome, including numbness and tingling of the bilateral upper extremities, is as likely as not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's left eye condition did not improve after VA surgeries, but the additional disability was not caused by VA carelessness or negligence.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability is manifested by complaints of pain and tenderness, but does not meet the criteria for a higher schedular rating.

The Veteran does not have qualifying active service during a period of war, and therefore is ineligible for VA non-service connected pension benefits.

The Board found no evidence of a current gastrointestinal disorder that is related to service or any other service-connected disability. The Veteran's diverticulitis was not shown to be due to his active service.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lipomas, attributing this to a lack of evidence linking his current condition to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has found that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's memory loss is related to service or an undiagnosed illness. The case is being remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion.