Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2021

The Veteran's initial higher rating for diabetes mellitus and separate ratings for diabetic neuropathy are granted. Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and the need for further medical opinions. The Veteran's spouse asserts that he had knee, neurological, and skin conditions related to his service at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and upper extremity neuropathy. The Veteran's claims are not related to his service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical transverse myelitis and its related secondary conditions, including muscular degeneration of the left leg, right upper extremity condition, right lower extremity condition, and left lower extremity neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and depression), eye disorders, shortness of breath, hypertension, kidney disorder, heart disorder, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, are all denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's increased disability ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are granted prior to August 26, 2019 and from that date. The Veteran's OSA claim is remanded.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains in dispute.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, but no higher. His service-connected back disability has been granted.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, but the Board has remanded for further clarification on whether diabetes contributed to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, and skin disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will provide a new examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD related to his in-service combat stressors, whether he has early-onset peripheral neuropathy related to herbicide agent exposure or other factors, and whether any diagnosed skin disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a brain tumor is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether his pituitary microadenoma is related to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Board will consider this evidence and make a decision based on the new information.

The Board has withdrawn all issues related to service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a left knee condition. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during combat operations.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II and its secondary effects on peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are granted. The eye disability is also linked to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and failure to comply with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for vitamin D deficiency, hoarseness, pleuritic chest pain (to include as secondary to a service-connected disability), heart condition (to include congestive heart failure) and to include as secondary to a service-connected disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, digestive disorder (excluding IBS) and to include as secondary to a service-connected disability, left foot neuropathy, right foot neuropathy, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, neck condition, chronic fatigue syndrome, restless leg syndrome, gout, right kidney cyst, urinary incontinence, migraine headaches, and otitis media are all remanded for further development.,The Veteran has not been diagnosed with a current heart condition. An additional VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any potential heart condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including left wrist radiocarpal disease, right wrist radiocarpal disease, right wrist tendonitis, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), duodenitis, arthritis of the right foot, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA and/or private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and addressing whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition is related to active service or caused by or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, granting his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the current severity of the service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities may not be accurately reflected in the record, and therefore, a VA examination is needed. Additionally, the Veteran's TDIU claim must be remanded to assess the collective impact of all his service-connected disabilities on his functional abilities with regard to activities of employment.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% and his right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy remains at 10%. The Board granted the higher rating for PTSD, finding total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.