Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions and missing private treatment records.

The Board found no chronic residuals of a gunshot wound to the second and third fingers of both hands during active service. The current arthritis in these digits is not otherwise etiologically related to such service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request in a February 2010 letter.

The Veteran's family income has been found to exceed the maximum annual pension rate for nonservice-connected disability, thus denying his claim for improved pension benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his interstitial fibrosis. The reduction from 30 percent to 0 percent rating will also be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected post-operative endoscopic sympathetectomy.

The claim for DIC under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1310 based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied due to the lack of legal merit, as the Veteran did not meet the required duration of a total disability rating prior to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cardiovascular, skin, unspecified joint and muscle pain, and dizzy spells have been denied. The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder has also been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current bilateral neurologic disability of the upper and lower extremities, as well as whether it is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding all issues currently before the Board, including service connection for a disorder characterized by 'dizzy spells' and increased evaluations for various service-connected conditions.

The Board denied an increased rating for Bell's palsy, left side and did not address the other issues on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting left elbow disability did not undergo an increase in severity during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and determine the reason for his gall bladder surgery refusal at a VA facility.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development and adjudication of his service connection claim for residuals of a gunshot wound to the right thigh with supracondylar femur fracture, claimed as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities. The temporary total evaluation based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence under 38 C.F.R. � 4.30 is also inextricably intertwined and must be addressed concurrently.

The Veteran's claim for additional compensation benefits for his grandchild, K.T., is denied as she does not meet the legal criteria to be considered a dependent for VA purposes.

The Board found that the Veteran's bowel incontinence was not incurred during service and is not related to his service-connected cholangiocarcinoma. Therefore, he did not meet the criteria for service connection for this condition as an accrued benefits claim.

The Board has reviewed new evidence submitted by the appellant, including a VA opinion and private treatment records. The May 2009 VA opinion does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection due to PTSD or alcohol dependence. The December 2011 VHA opinion also found no service connection is warranted based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's need for aid and attendance or housebound status. The case is being remanded to obtain additional information from a clinician.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including left pleural effusion, benign mesothelial hyperplasia, emphysema, and chronic inflammation and fibrosis, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board concluded that these conditions are more likely due to his cardiac surgery in 2007 rather than asbestos or ionizing radiation exposure during active duty.