Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that a personality disorder is not a disability for which VA compensation may be awarded, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Board denied service connection for a sleep disorder and granted a 50% rating for dysthymic disorder, but the effective date remains unclear.

The Veteran's gastritis and hiatal hernia with reflux esophagitis have not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board finds that the calculated amount of $27.00 per month in pension payments is proper and denies the Veteran's appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's hand tremors are attributable to a known clinical diagnosis and not due to service or an undiagnosed illness, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of an abdominal disorder, gallbladder disorder, or anemia related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides and insecticides. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection is granted for colon polyps or skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma).

The Veteran's skin conditions, including actinic keratosis and lichen simplex chronicus, are not service connected. The right clavicle fracture is rated at 20 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left foot disorder is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing an updated VA examination to address the Veteran's skin rash claim.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood results in, at worst, symptoms productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for this condition are not met.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute and chronic alcoholism, which is considered willful misconduct. The underlying cause of his death was cardiomegaly, but this condition did not result from service-connected disability.

The Veteran's skin disorder of the head, diagnosed as actinic keratoses, had its onset during his military service in Vietnam and is granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate and urinary disorder claims. The VA examiner was not provided with all relevant treatment records, including those from 1973 and 1974.

The Board denied service connection for cancer of the larynx as there was no evidence linking it to active service, including exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's claim is based on his contention that acid reflux caused his laryngeal cancer, but a VA medical opinion found no definitive link between the two.

The Board has ordered a new medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's esophageal cancer was caused or aggravated by in-service herbicide exposure, and will remand for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition is being remanded due to his failure to report for a VA examination. The case will be reviewed based on the evidence of record.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder and his active duty service, including early manifestations within one year of separation. The current disability is not related to any in-service event or disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a video-conference hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits for service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome were restored effective November 27, 2007. However, the Board finds that his earlier claim for an earlier effective date prior to this restoration is without legal merit due to the proper recoupment of severance pay.