Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, migraines and leg cramps, chronic sinusitis, hemorrhoids, and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy have been denied.,Service connection has not been established for the Veteran’s claimed conditions due to a lack of evidence showing a link between his military service and these disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and remanded his claims for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for DM II was withdrawn by the Veteran during his April 2018 hearing. The heart disability claim is denied as there is no evidence of more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure, workload greater than three METs but not greater than five METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope; or LVEF of 30 to 50 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding the current severity and etiology of his bilateral upper and lower extremity conditions. The PTSD claim is also remanded due to the Veteran's recent complaints of worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for separate disability ratings for ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities was denied as there is no evidence that an increase in severity occurred within one year prior to his August 21, 2013, claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, bilateral tibial axonal neuropathy of the lower extremities, gall bladder removal and abdominal scar, Barrett’s disease, and left ear hearing loss are denied. The AOJ is instructed to obtain medical opinions regarding these issues.

Service connection for diabetes, fibromyalgia, COPD, congestive heart failure, hypertension, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), bladder cancer, and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy is denied.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any diagnosis or complaints related to these conditions. The Board found no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation for any of the claimed disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disability and an increased rating for ischemic heart disease due to incomplete medical records. The Veteran needs to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private treatment records, including those from Dr. Nicholas A. Nagrani and Dr. Joseph A. Pedone. Additionally, he needs to authorize VA to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development and clarification regarding the Veteran's diabetes mellitus. Other service connection issues remain pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for polyneuropathy and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral feet is being reviewed, with particular focus on whether his condition is related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, attributing it to a lack of evidence linking the condition to service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation during the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The claim for service connection for a back condition has been reopened.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a separate diagnosis of these conditions.,For bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, the decision is remanded as no VA examiner has provided an adequate opinion regarding the nature and etiology of this condition.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is not considered to meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation prior to March 30, 2011. Since March 30, 2011, his condition has been rated at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for blood abnormalities, bilateral flatfoot, or hypertension secondary to diabetes. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities remains pending.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy and chloracne. The issues are related to exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities associated with diabetes mellitus, type II are granted at a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's service connection claim for headaches is remanded. The claim for a higher rating for MDD, earlier effective date for radial neuropathy of the right wrist, and increased rating for a right leg disability are also remanded.

The appeal seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is dismissed. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD) is granted, but the appeals for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities as well as hypertension are denied.