Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left median neuropathy and TDIU due to lack of proper notification regarding scheduled VA examinations. The Veteran is currently incarcerated, which may have affected her ability to attend these appointments.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, benign prostatic hypertrophy, myeloma, surgical scars as secondary to lumbar spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran is also requested to provide a history of any other injuries or events in service that may be associated with his disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating and an earlier effective date have been granted, but the issues are dismissed as there is no remaining case or controversy.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for several issues, including those related to a right breast cyst, disability of the right thumb and fingers, Raynaud’s syndrome of the hands, spider veins of the thighs, and scar of the right thigh. The remaining issues were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, chloracne (lower extremity), and trench foot as they were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability, bilateral foot disability, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active service.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral foot disability and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity as they were not found to be due to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and review of submitted evidence.,The Veteran is seeking an increase in his rating for diabetic nephropathy. The Board finds that a new examination is needed as his diabetes has worsened, and this condition is intertwined with his nephropathy.,The Veteran seeks increased ratings for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type two. His claim will be remanded due to the need for an updated examination.,The Veteran claims entitlement to a higher rating for bronchial asthma, which has not been evaluated in over 8 years. A new examination is needed.,The Veteran alleges CUE in his service connection denial for depression and sleep apnea. His claim will be remanded as the issue of service connection remains pending.,The Veteran claims entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, which was denied due to CUE. The claim will be remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and granted an initial 30 percent rating for fecal incontinence associated with voiding dysfunction.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for carcinoid tumors is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The remaining issues were remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to active service or herbicide exposure.

The appeal on most of the issues has been withdrawn and is dismissed. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, upper extremities, hypertension, gout, asthma, COPD, and right ankle disability have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his claims for right ankle disability and diabetes mellitus, type II prior to a decision being made. Service connection was granted for tinnitus but denied for sleep apnea, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, low back disability, neuropathy of left lower extremity, and neuropathy of right lower extremity.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, as well as related symptoms of radiculopathy, neuropathy, and foot drop, are granted a rating of 40 percent since June 20, 2016. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Thailand and thus no presumptive service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and tinnitus have been granted. However, the remaining claims related to bilateral lower extremity disability, bilateral upper extremity disability, urinary disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability (secondary to left ankle), lower back disability (secondary to left ankle), bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of a ruptured ear drum have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU prior to July 18, 2017 is denied as the evidence does not support that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to this date.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity was shown to be at least a mild degree within one year after separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.