Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted a 10% evaluation for the veteran's service-connected left index finger disability, effective from October 2001. The condition is rated as direct service connection and does not involve any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions and denied service connection for retroverted cervix and uterus, endometriosis, and urinary incontinence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right eye disorder is not service-connected, and his left eye aphakia with impaired vision and chorioretinal changes warrant a 30 percent rating. The compensable rating for ptosis of the left upper eyelid was granted effective August 30, 2002.

The VA has granted a 50 percent evaluation for the appellant's dysthymic disorder from September 13, 1996 to August 24, 2000.

The Board found that the veteran's dysthymic disorder does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent, and denied both his claim for increased rating and his claim for service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence regarding the cause of the veteran's death, specifically a statement from Dr. Joy Ladue Johnson.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for sickle cell anemia and a total rating by reason of individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The veteran was found not to have manifested any criteria warranting a higher evaluation, and his unemployability was attributed to societal discrimination rather than his service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have arthritis of the back caused or made worse by his service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for postoperative residuals of aortic stenosis with ascending aortic aneurism, valve replacement, and permanent pacemaker is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim of entitlement to service connection for a disability manifested by numbness in both arms, including the service-connected left shoulder tendonitis.

The veteran's scars on the left side of his back and left hand, as residuals of shrapnel wounds, are rated at 10 percent. The Board found that he did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on additional functional limitation or other factors. For PTSD, the veteran was granted an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran has withdrawn their appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's exposure to chemicals in service caused his tongue and throat cancer. Therefore, service connection for carcinoma of the tongue and throat due to such exposure is granted.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his shell fragment wounds to the right thigh and calf were denied as they do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the veteran's pylorospasm, finding that his condition more nearly approximates the criteria for this evaluation. The next higher rating of 30 percent is not warranted due to lack of recurrent symptoms and ulcer therapy requirements.

The veteran's personality disorder is not considered a service-connected disability due to its developmental nature, and thus the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for adenocarcinoma of the colon is being remanded due to incomplete records and a need for further development, including obtaining medical records from the VA Medical Center in Miami and Key West Outpatient Clinic.

The RO properly calculated the appellant's income and expenses for death pension benefits, resulting in a proper award of $419 per month.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the nature of his injuries and their relationship to his current conditions.