Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right heel and leg disorders, finding that new evidence did not establish a causal relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the extent and severity of all residuals of the veteran's left inguinal hernia repair.

The veteran's bowel resection and sigmoid diverticulitis were the result of his own condition, not due to VA treatment. The Board found no additional disability resulting from VA care.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current disability related to his service-connected condylomata acuminata and concluded that there is no link between any current venereal disease, other than condylomata acuminata, and his active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's dry eye syndrome does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation based on current symptoms and visual acuity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected right and left lower extremity claudication, status post popliteal release.,The evidence did not show that the veteran's disability warranted a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for dysthymic disorder and also denied his attempt to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has determined that the VA needs to conduct further research into the veteran's claimed in-service stressors and verify their occurrence. The veteran will be provided with another opportunity to submit a detailed PTSD questionnaire, which will then be reviewed by the Army and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC).

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected psychoneurosis with gastrointestinal complaints does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's skin disorders and his service, including exposure to Agent Orange or propane fuel. The preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's right knee disability, characterized by a torn cartilage, does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic skin disorder of the feet, claimed as due to exposure to herbicides. The evidence did not support a finding that the current condition was related to military service or presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the veteran's arthritis of the right arm, hand, and fingers is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his active duty. The claim for an initial compensable rating for deformity of the first metacarpophalangeal joint of the right hand was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hand middle finger disorder is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected left lobectomy contributed substantially or materially to his death due to metastatic colon cancer, and thus warrants service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's emergency services for a ruptured abdominal aneurysm were provided at Providence Hospital, which was deemed feasible and necessary due to the urgent nature of his condition. Payment is granted for services from December 29, 2003, through December 30, 2003. Services from December 31, 2003, through January 3, 2004, are denied as the veteran's condition had stabilized.

The veteran's case is being remanded due to his failure to appear at a scheduled hearing. The RO must contact the veteran to determine what type of hearing he requested and provide proper notice.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 40 percent for varicose veins, left leg and right leg.

The Board denied service connection for varicose veins as not incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examiner opined that there is no relationship between the service-connected bunion condition and varicose veins.,There was one abnormal pap smear documented during service, but it did not result in a current disability. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran does not have a current disability related to her 2000 abnormal pap smear.

The Board finds that the creation of an overpayment in the amount of $3,339.00 was due to a sole administrative error on the part of VA without the veteran's knowledge that it was erroneous. The overpayment debt is therefore invalid.