Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for inclusion body myositis and bilateral upper and lower extremity polyneuropathies due to lack of sufficient rationale in previous opinions, and requests additional medical records and an opinion from a VA neurologist.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 16, 2008 for the award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) benefits. This decision is based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for right hand tremors, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction is granted. Service connection for peripheral vision problems is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to insufficient evidence from previous examinations, including a lack of METs data for his heart condition. Additional VA examinations are needed to assess current disability levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate opinions in his September 2010 VA examination. The examiner did not address causation and aggravation as required for entitlement to service connection on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's amyloidosis and associated peripheral neuropathy were granted a 100% evaluation effective March 9, 2012. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to pending development of records and exposure history.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his records. The low back disability claim is also being reopened.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to insufficient information regarding his herbicide exposure. The case will be reviewed after additional development.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities have all been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, thoracic spine condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, degenerative joint disease of the ankles, muscular disorder, diabetes mellitus, and multiple sclerosis, have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current optic disability and headaches are not related to his military service, including any exposure during the Gulf War. The conditions have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, and ischemic heart disease were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other environmental contaminants that could cause these conditions. The Board found insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot conditions, including hammer toes, calcaneal spurs, pes cavus, small fiber neuropathy, fat pad atrophy, and recurrent painful callosities are related to his service in Vietnam where he suffered immersion foot. As a result, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding whether hyperthyroidism aggravates bilateral lower extremity neuropathy. The Veteran's claim will be returned for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection claims for upper extremity neuropathy, left knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and right knee arthritis.

The Board has granted secondary service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine if there are ascertainable residuals of Parkinson's disease that can be rated separately, and whether the peripheral neuropathy in the left lower extremity and bilateral upper extremities is related to service-connected Parkinson's disease.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for bilateral hip disability, shoulder and elbow disabilities, low back disability, neck disability with upper right extremity neuropathy, spine disability with joint degeneration, hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, staph infection, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sleep apnea. The remand also includes a request to obtain Social Security Administration records and an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.