Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for numbness of the bilateral upper extremities and basal cell carcinoma of the skin, to include as due to Agent Orange exposure, is denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of numbness of bilateral upper extremities or sufficient evidence of functional impairment to constitute a disability. For the second issue, the Veteran's BCC was not related to his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for pancreatic tail neuroendocrine tumor and its residuals, finding no causal link to exposure at Camp Lejeune or any other aspect of the Veteran's service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for claustrophobia, finding that it manifested in service and is related to active service.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder is dismissed because he did not express disagreement with the assigned effective date within one year.

The Veteran's service was honorable and he served during a period of war. However, the Appellant's annual income exceeded the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) throughout the appeal period, making her ineligible for non-service-connected death pension benefits.

The Board has remanded both the service connection and SMC claims due to incomplete records, but found that there is a possibility of a link between the Veteran's lower intestinal lymphoma and his military service. The case will be further examined.

The Board denied service connection for a right lung disorder, finding that the Veteran's current respiratory disorder is not related to his in-service MVA and there is no evidence of a gunshot wound during service. The preponderance of the evidence supports this conclusion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of her bilateral feet and a cyst on her feet, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for arthritis. The Board also found that there was no evidence linking the cysts to active service.

The Veteran's cause of death, glioblastoma, is not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly pension and non-service-connected disability pension were denied due to his income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rate (MAPR).

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder was granted a 30 percent rating from April 14, 2016 to June 21, 2019. From June 21, 2019, the Veteran is granted a 50 percent rating for his adjustment disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current mood disorder is at least as likely as not causally related to his service-connected bilateral pes planus, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her left foot fracture is being remanded due to the need to review her VA treatment records and schedule an examination to assess the current severity of her disability.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 40 percent for urinary incontinence, but denied an increased rating for vaginitis. The case is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for an appropriate examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a pituitary adenoma, to include a vision disorder, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune is granted.

The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx, finding that it is not related to military service, including presumed herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for left heel ischemia, vascular disease, and bed sores due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The cause of death claim is also being remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it before a decision was made.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical records and an informed consent form. The Veteran's nerve and lung disabilities are being considered under a direct service connection theory.