Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for a brittle fingers disability and alopecia were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions, and the Board found her statements regarding them not credible.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a current VA examination and retrieval of private medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of the delimiting date beyond July 1, 2008 for Chapter 30 educational assistance benefits is denied as there is no documentation that he was physically or mentally incapable of pursuing an education program.

The Veteran's claim for basic eligibility for nonservice-connected pension benefits is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional service personnel records to confirm his claimed service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected keloid formation on the chest is being remanded due to missing private medical records and a need for a new VA examination.

The Board finds that the appellant and the Veteran were in a common law marriage since at least 2006, and that they lived together continuously until the Veteran's death. Therefore, the appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for VA benefit purposes.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to reassess the severity of his right eye chordial lesion and the permanency of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Veteran's prostatitis was diagnosed during service and is considered to have started during service. The Board has granted the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for legal entitlement to the one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund due to a lack of recognized active military service.

The Veteran's hypercoagulation disorder, including DVT and chronic venous insufficiency, is service-connected as a congenital defect that pre-existed active duty. The acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) claim was denied. Service connection for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection for back injury with associated left-sided numbness. The case will be reviewed and readjudicated after the additional development is completed.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for synovial chondromatosis and arthritis of the left knee, which was rated at 10 percent since service connection was granted in March 2002, has been denied as his condition does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including consideration of an extra-schedular evaluation and a TDIU claim. The case will be referred back to the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an extra-schedular evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the River Park Hospital on April 2, 2010 was denied because the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency care and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, characterized by degenerative joint disease and associated instability, pain, swelling, subluxation, locking sensation, and crepitus, is rated at 10 percent since June 13, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his increased rating claim and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current gynecological problems to her military service, including her bacterial infections while in Korea. The claim for service connection was denied.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's colon cancer is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's broken teeth were not incurred in or aggravated by active service and thus denied his claim for service connection. The issue of eligibility for outpatient dental treatment was also addressed, but as no specific evidence regarding this aspect is provided, it remains unresolved.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including meniscus disease and a chondral defect, is currently rated at 20 percent. The examiner noted functional impairment but no instability or subluxation.