Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2014

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is found to be service-connected due to Agent Orange exposure. The lung disability, diagnosed as recurrent pneumothorax, is not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of his common peroneal nerve neuropathy, which may be related to his service-connected muscle contusion of the right posterior calf or another service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need to determine if the Veteran's neuropathy of the feet is related to his in-service exposure to chemicals, including Agent Orange. The AOJ must attempt to obtain personnel records from the Veteran's second period of active service and request a review of Department of Defense inventory of herbicide operations.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy was not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board denied service connection on a direct basis as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and scheduling an appropriate VA examination of his hearing loss disability. The issues of increased ratings for diabetes, hypertension, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are also being addressed.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities are found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, hypertension, eye disability, and blood clots as they are not related to active service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and eye disability were denied as there was no credible evidence to support the presence or causation in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected varicose veins and peroneal neuropathy.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA vocational rehabilitation file and referring the case to the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis and peripheral neuropathy, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board finds that there is no evidence to support a relationship between the Veteran's current left ankle/foot and right foot disabilities and his military service. The medical opinions are against such a finding, attributing these conditions more likely to weight gain since separation from service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU, and the collective evidence suggests that his service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and vocational experience.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity were denied as there is no current diagnosis for these conditions.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes. The Board grants service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes.

The Veteran's CIDP of the upper and lower extremities is not considered to be due to his service, including presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Board also found that it was not proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, hypothyroidism, and kidney disorder due to herbicide exposure. The appellant's National Guard service at CFB Gagetown in Canada is under further investigation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a disability manifested by peripheral neuropathy of either lower extremity.

The Veteran's bladder neuropathy and dysfunction are found to be caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and the Board grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.