Other conditions Board decisions

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection due to his schizoid personality disorder, as this is not considered a compensable disability.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected recurrent right spontaneous pneumothorax, status post right thoracotomy with resection of pleural blebs and pleural ablation with mild obstructive pulmonary disease is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional medical records.

The Board found that the appellant was not the surviving spouse of the veteran for purposes of VA benefits due to a valid divorce decree and lack of evidence supporting her claim.

The veteran is seeking service connection for dry eye syndrome. The Board has determined that additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of the issue, is necessary due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran timely perfected his appeal regarding an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for mood disorder.

The case is being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate VCAA notice.

The veteran's Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit payments are considered countable income for VA pension purposes, and the appeal is denied.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA educational assistance benefits in the amount of $996.90 was properly created and denied the veteran's appeal.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for status post myocardial infarction and denied it on the merits.

The veteran wishes to withdraw his appeal regarding the effective date for PTSD service connection.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for the residuals of surgery for removal of a pericoronal flap. The claim is now reopened.

The Board found that the appellant is not the veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefit purposes due to prior marriages and lack of common-law marriage recognition in Puerto Rico.

The Board has granted an increased 70 percent evaluation for cyclothymic disorder with dysthymia, effective as of the date of the decision.

The Board found that the appellant knowingly submitted a fraudulent medical certificate in support of her husband's claim for VA benefits, resulting in forfeiture of any VA benefits she might have been entitled to under 38 U.S.C.A. § 6103.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral vascular disease and residuals of heart bypass surgery, finding that the veteran's conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty. The evidence showed multiple instances of symptoms during inactive duty training but no direct link to service.

The Board has granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected chronic colitis with hiatal hernia, effective from November 10, 2005.

The veteran is seeking service connection for cholesteatoma of the right ear. He contends that this condition is a result of acoustic trauma he experienced while serving in Korea during the Korean conflict. The Board finds combat presumption applies and supports a conclusion that the veteran suffered acoustic trauma during service, which could potentially support service connection.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development due to incomplete instructions in the July 2005 VA examination report.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his current skin conditions are related to his active military service.

The veteran's Crohn's disease is currently rated at 10 percent, and his sinusitis is rated as noncompensable. The Board has granted service connection for both conditions.