Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lung condition and arthritis, both claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and readjudication due to issues related to vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 of Title 38, United States Code. The Veteran's interrupted status needs to be reviewed.

The Board found no evidence of a left hand disability in service or within one year post-service, and the current left hand disability is not related to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's middle finger arthritis was attributed to a prior injury after separation from service.

The VA denied service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, characterized as Barrett's Esophagus, claimed as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The most probative medical opinion found no medical nexus between the Veteran's current gastrointestinal disorder and his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's conditions are related to service and have granted service connection for these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hallux valgus, finding no competent or credible evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right tonsillar cancer is due to herbicide exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic encephalitis residuals and chronic brain syndrome are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during service and posterior subcapsular cataract of the left eye is at least as likely as not due to this exposure. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disorder is proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees. As such, service connection for a bilateral foot disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disorder is granted.

The Board has determined that additional notice and development are required before the DIC claim for the cause of the Veteran's death can be properly adjudicated.

The Veteran's service-connected Polymorphous Light Eruption and the residuals of Basal Cell Carcinoma affect less than 20 percent of his total body or exposed areas, do not require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for a total duration of six weeks or more. The current rating of 10 percent is maintained.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran has Lyme disease and its residuals, and to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service. The RO is also instructed to request medical records from Dr. Richardson.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right hand disorder, which he contends developed as the result of an in-service right hand fracture. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine whether his current right hand disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for NSC pension benefits was previously denied multiple times. A new claim was received on April 28, 2006, but the August 2004 claim was considered abandoned due to failure to provide requested information within one year. Therefore, the effective date is set at the date of receipt of the April 28, 2006 claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hodgkin's lymphoma is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his separation from active duty, and there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and any event in service. The Veteran's PTSD claim was withdrawn prior to decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial evaluations for acid reflux, polyps of the colon, polyps of the gallbladder, and healed granulomatous disease of the lungs have been granted. The Veteran is assigned a 10% evaluation for his acid reflux as of June 13, 2011.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg paresis and an initial compensable rating for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left foot due to lack of competent evidence showing current disability.

The Board has granted service connection for digital papillary adenocarcinoma of the left middle finger, finding that it is attributable to the Veteran's service-connected epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. The rating reduction decision was improper and the original 100% rating is restored.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.