Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's dermatophytosis is currently rated at 30 percent, the highest schedular rating available. The Board denied his claim for an increased evaluation as there was no evidence showing more than 40% of his body or exposed areas affected by the condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's Bell's palsy did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating, as it was currently evaluated at 10 percent. The disability is rated under Diagnostic Code 8207, which pertains to paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date than March 16, 2011 for the award of additional compensation benefits for a dependent spouse and child. The Board finds that the correct effective date is April 1, 2011 as it is the earliest possible date based on the dates provided in the regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding exposure to chemicals or drugs during service and the cause of death claim. The non-service-connected burial benefits claim is also being deferred until the cause of death claim is resolved.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a clarification of the impact of his pain medication on employment and an assessment of the extent of any instability in his left hip.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of the delimiting date beyond August 8, 2010, was denied as there is no evidence showing a disability prevented him from initiating or completing his education program.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service with the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines, under USAFFE command, does not establish eligibility for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The Veteran died due to traumatic injuries from a motor vehicle accident. The appellant is not entitled to death pension benefits, accrued benefits, or service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's esophageal stricture, claimed as oral and pharyngeal dysphagia, is related to his service-connected cervical spine disability. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for Lyme disease and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a link between the Veteran's symptoms in service and her current diagnosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ear disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of recent VA examination and the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine its etiology. The claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 1, 2007, for the award of special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria is denied as he did not meet the schedular criteria for SMC at that time and his disabilities were rated less than 100%.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his left spontaneous pneumothorax disability and for obtaining all relevant medical records.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection of right knee disability, left knee disability, right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues have been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including consideration of new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board finds that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the first metatarsophalangeal joints with hallux rigidus is not related to his service-connected hypertension or medication used for it, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's left total knee replacement is granted as it was caused by his service-connected chondromalacia of the patella, leading to end-stage arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected supraventricular tachycardia is currently rated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating based on more than four episodes per year of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or other supraventricular tachycardia documented by electrocardiogram or Holter monitor.