Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2008

The Board found that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not related to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied service connection for vision disorder and neuropathy of the lower extremities, both claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The appellant's current eye symptoms are attributed to refractive error and senile cataracts, not related to his diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's peripheral neuropathy is related to his asbestos exposure during service. The veteran missed this previous examination and now requests it be rescheduled.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for right sciatic neuropathy, finding that the veteran's condition did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including VA examinations and a review of the claims file.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral femoral neuropathy, to include the bilateral hips, was not incurred or aggravated during his periods of active service and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The skin disability is also denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board finds that the veteran's allergic uticaria is caused or aggravated by his service-connected degenerative disc disease/degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine.,The Board also finds that the veteran's neuropathy of the left lower extremity is secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease/degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and is not related to herbicide exposure.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for all issues on appeal, including increased ratings for various conditions.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The veteran seeks service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet, which he contends is secondary to high doses of INH medication used to treat his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis. The case is being remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records review. The issues of increased ratings for his service-connected Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with bilateral lower extremity neuropathy and bipolar affective disorder are pending.

The Board granted the veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, assigning a 20 percent rating effective August 21, 2008. The veteran was also granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have PTSD related to his military service and there is no credible evidence supporting the occurrence of a personal assault during service. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied. For peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, while the record places the evidence in equipoise as to whether it had its onset during service, the Board finds that the veteran's symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to determine if the veteran's pre-existing polyneuropathy was aggravated by service. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for numbness on the right side, shortness of breath, headaches, PTSD, and blood in urine and semen, kidney disorder, and swollen testicle. The veteran's claim for residuals of throat surgery with dysphagia and dysphonia remains denied.

The veteran's PTSD and bilateral hearing loss were granted service connection with initial evaluations of zero percent. Service connection for headaches, varicose veins, and peripheral neuropathy of the hands was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of his right and left feet, as well as his hands. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's eye disability and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have peripheral neuropathy in either foot, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.