Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from August 2011 onward and considering all evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a dental disability for compensation and treatment purposes, finding no evidence of a relationship between his conditions and service or a service-connected condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's respiratory disability, lung nodule, pulmonary embolism, and cough are not related to service or a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current gastrointestinal disability, duodenal ulcer with recurring gastritis, is at least as likely as not caused by medication treatment for his service-connected sinusitis and TMJ.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the February 2016 examination to address causation and aggravation of the Veteran's eye condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin condition, dermatophytosis, results in significant functional impairment due to painful and bleeding lesions on his feet. This interferes with employment and warrants an additional 10 percent rating beyond the current schedular 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's right thumb condition and residuals of a chipped sternum are currently rated as noncompensable, but the Board has granted initial compensable ratings (10%) for both conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for restless leg syndrome, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has determined that referral to the Director of VA's Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration is appropriate due to the combined impact of multiple service-connected disabilities on the Veteran's overall impairment. The case is REMANDED for this purpose.

The Veteran's multiple abscesses, including hepatic, right psoas muscle, subdiaphragmatic, chest wall, abdominal wallet, as well as chronic infections, fistula formations and a lung mass requiring partial lobectomy were the result of his November 2007 gallbladder surgery. The proximate cause was an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of residuals of heat stroke or heat sensitivity, and therefore service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board denied a higher rating as there is no evidence of ankylosis or severe muscle damage during the period on appeal. For TDIU, the Veteran is currently employed and his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any gainful employment.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding service connection for neoplasm of the brain. As a result, the Board has dismissed this issue.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic dissecting scalp cellulitis with sebaceous cysts was denied. The effective date remains unchanged.

The Veteran's skin rashes manifested by pruritus were found to cover a total body area of less than 5 percent prior to May 2, 2016 and between 20-40 percent thereafter. The disability did not require systemic or topical corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive drugs as treatment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination for his bilateral foot disabilities, as the evidence suggests an increase in severity since the last examination. The Veteran reported additional symptoms and their impact on daily life.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for reinstatement to nonservice-connected pension benefits, finding that her termination was proper due to a lack of wartime service and failure to meet the minimum period of active duty requirement.

The Veteran's lung disability, including pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial fibrosis, is related to his active service. The cause of the Veteran's death was also due to a service-connected disability (lung disability). As DIC has been granted, the lesser benefit of death pension is not applicable.

The Veteran's application for VRAP was denied because he was found eligible and receiving educational assistance under Chapter 31 of Title 38, which disqualifies him from eligibility for VRAP.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disability, manifested by shortness of breath and diagnosed as small airway disease, is related to service. The condition was initially manifested during active duty and is not attributable to environmental exposures in Southwest Asia.