Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical radiculitis with right ulnar neuropathy, and pes planus (fallen arches). The issues have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for GERD, but has remanded the issues of service connection for a respiratory condition and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability and right ankle disability, but allowed reopening of the claim for right ankle disability.,Service connection was not granted for right hip, leg/shin disabilities, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, or variously diagnosed psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and sciatic nerve peripheral neuropathy were denied increased ratings. The diabetes was rated at 40 percent prior to April 27, 2015, and 20 percent thereafter. The left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve peripheral neuropathy were both rated at 10 percent.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to determine if the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for various conditions related to his diabetes and coronary artery disease was partially granted, with some issues receiving a separate rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no merits decision was made.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's glaucoma and prostate disability. The rating for seborrheic dermatitis and tinea barbae is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left-hand injury manifested by neuropathy and bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a link between current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.,The Board remanded the claim for peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure, noting insufficient rationale for the VA examiner's opinion and requesting further clarification from medical opinions provided by Drs. M.H. and N.S.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for goiter, post-operative residuals of a thyroidectomy, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to ionizing radiation exposure has been granted. The Board found that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether or not these conditions are related to his inservice radiation exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD warranted a TDIU rating, and his other service-connected disabilities combined to more than 60 percent. The Board found clear and unmistakable error in the December 2010 rating decision that failed to award SMC at the (s) rate due to CUE.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and tinnitus. The claim for neuropathy of the bilateral hands and fingers is denied due to lack of diagnosis. The claim for neuropathy of the bilateral feet is also denied. The claim for a lumbar spine disorder remains pending.

The Veteran's skin and nail disability on the feet, including tinea pedis and tinea unguium, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and pilonidal cyst with residual scar are all granted. The Veteran is assigned a 10% rating for his pilonidal cyst.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ilioinguinal nerve neuropathy is denied as the current 10% rating is the maximum allowed under VA regulations. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected persistent depressive disorder.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence showing herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of prior formal or informal claims before March 30, 2011.,The effective dates for the grants of service connection are set at March 30, 2010 and March 30, 2011 respectively.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The left knee disability claim is being remanded for a new VA examination, while the neuropathy of the left hand and hemorrhoids claims are also being remanded for additional development including obtaining service treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of various disabilities and to obtain relevant VA treatment records. The claims for service connection are being remanded.