Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, and related neurological disabilities. The issues of service connection remain pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cerebellar degeneration, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and hypertension due to potential exposure to hazardous chemicals in service. The claims are also related as they could impact a decision on the issues of entitlement to a 10 percent evaluation based on multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities and entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD and additional service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more. SMC at the housebound rate is also granted from January 1, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus type II have been granted. The decision also reopened his claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his claims for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of all four extremities. The Veteran was not diagnosed with this condition in his medical records and a new VA examination is needed to determine if he currently has it.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus type 2, and granted initial ratings of 20 percent for diabetic polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity and right lower extremity.

The Veteran's current disabilities, including monoclonal gammopathy and peripheral neuropathy, are not related to his exposure to Coolanol during service.,Service connection for left finger numbness and right finger numbness due to exposure to Coolanol is denied.

The Board denied service connection for left ulnar neuropathy as it was not shown to be related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted for left ankle degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine mild degenerative disc disease, and varicose veins of the legs. Service connection was denied for diabetes mellitus type 2 and peripheral neuropathy of the feet.

The Board denied service connection for HIV and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities has been denied. He is currently rated at 20% for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, but not for his upper extremities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various disabilities, including cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine with strain status post fusion, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the right hip, degenerative joint disease of the left hip, left knee arthritis, leg length discrepancy, chronic right ankle sprain with avulsion fracture and Morton’s neuroma, scar, anterior neck, nonlinear surgical scar, right shoulder, surgical scars, right shoulder, tension headaches, right inguinal neuropathy, status post inguinal hernia repair, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with mood disorder, and bruxism with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Additional examinations are needed to determine the current severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephrolithiasis, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity are being remanded as there is no current diagnosis in the record.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic nephrolithiasis is being remanded as there is no current diagnosis in the record.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is being remanded as there is no current diagnosis in the record.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction associated with residuals of prostate adenocarcinoma is being remanded due to outstanding VA records from his wife and need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of prostate adenocarcinoma, evaluated as 20 percent disabling is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to March 13, 2012 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy for the right upper extremity is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy for the left upper extremity is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is being remanded as there are outstanding records from his wife and need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder associated with residuals of prostate adenocarcinoma is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and review of recent hospitalization records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded as there are no current audiometric findings in the record.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension (high blood pressure) is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of his medication.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims as there was a full award of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, and right lower extremity in September 2016. The issues of entitlement to service connection for migraine disorder, seizure disorder, and loss of smell are remanded.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a heart condition, left hand numbness, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete evaluations and need for additional development, including obtaining in-service hospitalization records and conducting further examinations.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were evaluated, but the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran was denied increased ratings for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Multiple Sclerosis, Neuropathy (secondary to Multiple Sclerosis), and Colitis (secondary to Multiple Sclerosis) due to insufficient development of evidence regarding potential exposure to environmental hazards during service. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's claimed exposures and obtain any necessary medical opinions.