Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right hip disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for dysthymia, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The issues on appeal are related to his service-connected skin disability of the chest and back.

The Board has determined that the case should be remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hip disability.

The Veteran's complaints of memory loss and loss of concentration are not objectively evident, nor demonstrative of an undiagnosed illness. The claim for service connection must be denied.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of colposcopy, dysplasia, and polyps as there is no current disability related to the in-service procedure. The Veteran's postservice polyp disorder was not present during service and is not related to service.,The Board denied an initial compensable rating for a scar from appendectomy due to lack of evidence showing any residual or functional impairment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for uricaria (hives) and determined that there is a reasonable doubt as to whether her current condition is related to her active duty service. As such, she is granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired bilateral eye disorder, including presbyopia, astigmatism, bilateral incipient senile cataracts, dermatochalasis and bilateral pinguecula. The grant is based on the presumption that any diagnosed condition during active service was incurred therein.

The Board has remanded the case for further consideration following the assignment of an initial evaluation and effective date for arthritis of the bilateral sacroiliac joints, per the Board's award of service connection for that disability. Relevant VA records and examination reports were associated with the claims file after the issuance of the October 2016 Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected digital nerve injury.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for larynx injury and left heel ulcer are being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and clarification of the nature and severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's left eye disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examination and opinion concluded that the Veteran's ptosis of the left eye is not related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for a total rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service as a recognized guerrilla prior to July 1, 1946 is not qualifying for nonservice-connected pension benefits. Therefore, the Appellant does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for nonservice-connected death pension and SMP based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or on account of being housebound.

The Board found that liver failure/Necrosis and HIV were the immediate causes of death, but did not find service connection for either condition due to lack of evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for tonsillitis was denied. The claims for reopening service connection for right ankle disability, pes planus, hernia, and back disability were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of June 12, 2014, for the grant of nonservice-connected pension benefits was dismissed as there is no remaining allegation of error of fact or law to review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's brain disorder is not service-connected, as it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service. The VA examiner and independent medical opinion concluded that there is no link between the Veteran's current brain disorder and his exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's esophageal cancer is not related to his military service, including as due to in-service exposure to asbestos and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The appeal is denied.