Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, as well as his claim for TDIU. The AOJ is to obtain additional medical records and provide a VA examiner with an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's vein disorders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for polymyositis, pulmonary fibrosis, porphyria cutanea tarda, and dermatomyositis due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional evidence. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an issue regarding the correct effective date for DIC benefits. The VA needs to locate and incorporate relevant documents into the record.

The Board denied an extraschedular rating for spinal stenosis at L4-L5 from November 19, 2008 to April 18, 2012 as the disability picture is adequately contemplated by the rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the case is now closed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a private hospital on March 1, 2014 because his condition was not emergent to the extent that VA facilities were not feasibly available and an attempt to use them beforehand would not have been reasonable due to distance and lack of self-driving capability.

The Board denied service connection for early degenerative changes at C3-C4 and C4-C5, degenerated disc, bulging annulus fibrous and small left posterior disc herniation with compression of the dural sac at L5-S1, and sleep disorder. The claims were not reopened.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date for DIC benefits, finding that the current effective date of November 27, 2015 is correct as the appellant did not demonstrate she was a qualifying surviving spouse in 2012.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed peripheral nerve disorder of his upper extremities and its relationship to service.

The Veteran's son is not eligible for retroactive Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to the one-year waiting period from the date of his father's permanent and total disability rating.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the DIC claim due to insufficient medical opinion and incomplete notice. The appeal for additional accrued benefits will be remanded as well.

The Veteran's service connection claim for toenail fungus is granted because he consistently reported wearing wet boots during service and has had the condition since separation. The Board found in his favor due to reasonable doubt.

The Board denied service connection for androgenetic alopecia (hair loss) as the evidence did not support a finding that it began during service or was related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran's hair loss is considered a known clinical diagnosis rather than an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for breast cancer and left arm pain, numbness, and tightness secondary to breast cancer have been denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or link between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 4, 2013 for the award of a 10 percent rating for service-connected right and left subtrochanteric bursitis with tenosynovitis was denied. The Board found that no earlier effective date could be assigned as there is no evidence of increased disability in the year prior to the claim.

The Veteran's service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his time at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's request for a hearing before the Board is withdrawn and that the issue of whether he is competent to handle VA funds should be remanded due to outstanding treatment records and need for a new competency examination.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal condition, including hiatal hernia and Mallory-Weiss tear, was not caused by any incident of service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a relationship to service.

The Veteran's right thumb disability, characterized as DeQuervain's tenosynovitis, has been rated at 10 percent since February 25, 2010. The Board finds a new VA examination is warranted to determine the current severity of the condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and no further action can be taken on this case.