Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. � 1151 for additional disabilities in his upper and lower extremities that developed after a bilateral hernia repair surgery at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Asheville, North Carolina on May 22, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, diabetes (claimed as borderline diabetes), neuropathy of the hands and upper extremities, neuropathy of the feet and lower extremities, and glaucoma were denied. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining deck logs from the USS De Haven and determining if routine dumping of Agent Orange over water off Vietnam was a practice prior to landing. The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy are inextricably intertwined with his claim for diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral leg disability and concluded that the Veteran's currently diagnosed conditions are not related to his period of active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, with peripheral neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy, as well as hypertension. The evidence did not support a finding of herbicide exposure or a link between these conditions and active duty.

The Veteran's polyneuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service in Korea, and also because of the interrelated nature of the claims for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including eye/vision disability, skin disability, schizophrenia, cervical spine disability, chronic rhinitis, degenerative joint disease (including osteoarthritis of the spine), peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension. The decision is mixed as some issues have been granted while others remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claimed conditions or that they are related to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal of all claims, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's current diagnosed peripheral neuropathy of the extremities is not considered to be related to his military service, including presumed in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and updating the record with any new evidence. The issues include increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as a claim for TDIU.

The Board finds that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is service-connected due to in-service exposure to non-ionizing radiation, which is not considered ionizing radiation exposure under VA regulations. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, residuals of nose fracture, bilateral knee disorder, and persistent strep throat disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction were denied as they are not related to service or due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal in the matters of ratings for peripheral neuropathies of both upper and lower extremities, thus dismissing the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides in Thailand and whether he had a layover in Vietnam enroute from San Francisco.