Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, as it does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for VA death benefits as her late husband did not have the required military service to be eligible for VA benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination, development of TDIU claim, and issuance of an SOC regarding the effective date issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for vitiligo, finding that there was no evidence of a skin disability during service and no medical professional has ever attributed the condition to his active duty service or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's dental disability, including gum disease and tooth extractions, is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board denied service connection for esophageal cancer and liver cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a link to the Veteran's active service or presumed herbicide agent exposure.

The Board dismissed the service connection claims for cold injuries of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity as the Veteran withdrew these claims during his hearing.

The Veteran's cause of death, glioblastoma multiform, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disability due to herbicide exposure and remanded the issue of service connection for numbness in toes and fingers.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings for sensory deficits in his lower extremities were denied. The claim for ankylosing spondylitis was also denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Veteran's atrial fibrillation with cardiomegaly is currently rated at 30% and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating can be granted.

The Veteran's cause of death, which was due to complications from his CML, is presumed to have been caused by service-connected disability as the disease developed in adulthood and manifested after service. The Board found that the Veteran met the threshold duration of service at Camp Lejeune and established he had adult leukemia.

The Board denied service connection for amputation of two and a half fingers of the left hand as it occurred during a period of inactive duty, not active military service.

The Board denied service connection for spinal disc injuries and bilateral foot injury residuals, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left elbow arthritis and anemia, finding no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran's STRs did not indicate a chronic left elbow disorder or anemia during her military service.,For fibrocystic disease (breast), the Board found some indication that it may be associated with in-service bilateral breast reduction surgery but remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for patellar infrapatellar tendonitis of the left knee was denied. The condition is currently rated at 10 percent under DC 5260, which pertains to limitation of flexion of the knee.

The reduction of the disability rating for the service-connected left elbow disability from 20 percent to 10 percent was not proper, and the 20 percent rating is restored effective from November 18, 2014.

Your right hand disability claim has been resolved and you are now receiving compensation for it. The appeal is dismissed as the issue is considered 'resolved in full'.

The Board has not issued a statement of the case regarding whether the November 27, 1979 rating decision contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in failing to establish service connection for a left eye disability. The issue must be remanded.

The Veteran's service treatment records indicate he had traumatic iritis in 1976, which resolved without complication. However, the current eye conditions are not related to his service. The Board finds that an additional VA etiology opinion should be obtained.