Other conditions Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU were denied. The Board found no evidence of a disability manifested by numbness and tingling of the fingers and toes or shortness of breath and muscle spasms of the legs, arms, back, and neck due to herbicide exposure during service.

The VA denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hidradenitis suppurativa and the claim for TDIU based on service-connected hidradenitis.

The veteran's lipomas are currently evaluated at a 10 percent disability rating, and the Board finds no evidence to warrant an increased evaluation.

The Board has determined that there is no earlier effective date for the award of death pension benefits as the appellant did not file a formal or informal claim prior to August 22, 1991.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for stenosis of the left subclavian artery, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected chronic lower back syndrome does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, as it did not meet the criteria for more severe disability levels.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a back injury, finding that his disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant prior to a decision being made.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected paralysis of the posterior tibial nerve warrants a 20 percent rating, reflecting moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for gouty arthritis, multiple joints, and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. However, the Board also determined that there is no medical evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right thumb injury does not warrant a higher evaluation as it is no more than 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his shrapnel fragment wounds to the right hand and forearm, finding that the residuals did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected residuals, stress fracture of the calcaneus of the right foot did not meet the criteria for a higher rating beyond the current 10 percent assigned.

The veteran seeks service connection for clostridium difficile toxin, claimed as amebic dysentery. The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of facts.

The Board found that the veteran's current pulmonary fibrosis is not service-connected, as there was no evidence linking his condition to his military service.

The Board has granted effective dates of October 8, 1997 for awards of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for essential tremors in both the right and left hands.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a skin disorder and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The claims for diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the right foot, kidney dysfunction due to diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction due to diabetes mellitus, hypertension due to diabetes mellitus, and heart disease due to diabetes mellitus are all granted based on service connection.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence submitted. However, further medical opinion is needed regarding whether the veteran's fatal astrocytoma was caused by his herbicide exposure during military service in Vietnam.

The Board found that the April 1946 rating decision severing service connection for a psychiatric disorder did not contain clear and unmistakable error. The October 1999 rating decision declining to reopen the claim was final. New evidence received since the October 1999 rating decision is considered material, allowing the reopening of the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder. However, no new or established etiology has been provided to support the claim.