Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Veteran's heart condition, including atrioventricular block and arrhythmia, is presumed to have been caused by his exposure to burn pits during service in Iraq. The Board finds that the symptoms qualify as an undiagnosed illness under Persian Gulf War Syndrome criteria.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received, and a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current right eye disability is related to his service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's eye disabilities, specifically whether they are congenital defects or diseases, and if so, whether they were aggravated by service. The case is being remanded for a VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for special monthly pension based on non-service-connected disability due to insufficient service during a period of war. The appellant did not meet the criteria for receiving such benefits.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's glioblastoma was related to exposure to ionizing radiation during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant's deceased husband did not have service in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, in the service of the United States Armed Forces. Therefore, he does not qualify as a veteran for purposes of VA benefits.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left eye disability. The Board has determined that the case should be remanded to determine if the pre-existing condition worsened during service.

The Veteran's claim for VRAP benefits after April 23, 2014 was denied as the program ended on March 31, 2014 and no additional payments would be made.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and missing private medical records. The Veteran's cause of death is under consideration, but no specific theory of service connection can be determined from the current record.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including memory loss, fatigue, and cervical spine disability. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of empyema, which he contends was misdiagnosed by VA treatment providers in December 2008 and January 2009. The Board finds that further development is needed to address the outstanding questions pertaining to the pending claim.

The Veteran died during the appeal process, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's myeloprolific neoplasm, with myelodysplastic syndrome is found to be related to his service due to exposure to herbicides. Service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for urinary frequency and fatigue, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected status-post right and left bunionectomies each warrant a maximum 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of descending colon polyps is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board finds that the claim for service connection must be denied.

The Veteran's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for non-service connected pension benefits, thus denying entitlement to nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board denied the claims of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, claiming exposure to herbicides. The Board found that while the disease was not directly related to active service or Agent Orange exposure, it was more likely caused by the Veteran's long history of smoking and alcohol consumption.

The Board has granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right thumb sprain as of March 1, 2017.

The Veteran's esophageal cancer and death were not service-connected. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for either condition.