Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his lumbar spine condition is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and clarification of whether he still desires an RO hearing.

The Veteran's left arm disability has been granted service connection and assigned a 10 percent initial rating, effective May 21, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current extent of his service-connected keratoconjunctivitis sicca and whether any other eye conditions are related to service or the service-connected disorder. The case will be reviewed again after the examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of malaria, a right hand disability, or a skin disorder. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gunshot wound residuals are related to his active duty service and thus grants these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for gout, finding that the Veteran experienced chronic symptoms during service and continuous symptomatology since discharge. The claim is denied for other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now being addressed on their merits. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims for skin disorder and psychophysiologic GI reaction.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand, with amputations at the distal tips of two fingers (index and ring), is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling. The disability picture does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The claim for service connection of a gall bladder disorder was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence, but it remains denied as there is no direct link between in-service symptoms and current diagnoses.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertensive cardiovascular disease has been denied because there were no pending claims prior to October 9, 1997.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund as the decedent did not have qualifying service and had passed away more than 31 years prior to the enactment of the legislation.

The Veteran's diagnosed ependymoma, to include subependymoma, is granted as likely as not related to his participation in vibration impact studies during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining clinical and treatment records from U.S. Army Hospitals in Long Binh and Cam Ranh Bay where the Veteran was treated for his back injury during service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on September 10, 2010, for chest pain, speech changes, and psychogenic dysphonia were reimbursed because a VA facility was not feasibly available at the time of treatment.

The Board found that there is no current disability of the right hip for which service connection may be granted. The Veteran's claimed right hip disorder was not shown to be related to his active duty or a service-connected condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, as well as related secondary conditions. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board determined that the Veteran's current back disorder is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequacy of the August 2007 VA examination, and a new examination is required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive lesions (also claimed as hyperintense lesions) is being remanded due to the failure to provide a VA examination. The case will be reviewed after this additional development.

The Veteran's residuals of a bilateral vasectomy, including an epididymal cyst, are rated at 10 percent due to daytime voiding every four to five hours and nocturia two times per night.

The Board granted service connection for a Morton's neuroma of the left foot and assigned an initial disability evaluation of 10 percent, effective December 28, 2009.