Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran was granted SMC at the rate provided by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) as of February 24, 2009, based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine the nature and severity of the Veteran's ulnar neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, including due to exposure to herbicides, as there is no evidence that it was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding exposure to herbicide agents and ionizing radiation, as well as an inadequate medical opinion on whether any current liver disability is related to service. The VA will need to obtain additional treatment records, verify claimed exposures, and provide a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for various conditions, including PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (including dementia), diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, a heart disorder (coronary artery disease, status post stent placement), a circulatory disorder, bilateral eye disorders (right eye blindness, double vision in the left eye, cataracts), lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, radiculopathy of each extremity, and myelomalacia. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.,The Veteran's service connection claims were denied for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (including dementia), diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, a heart disorder (coronary artery disease, status post stent placement), a circulatory disorder, bilateral eye disorders (right eye blindness, double vision in the left eye, cataracts), lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, radiculopathy of each extremity, and myelomalacia.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and its relationship to his service-connected disabilities.

The claims for service connection for right and left upper extremity neuropathy are denied. The claim of service connection for a back disability as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hand condition and heart condition, finding that there was no causal relationship between his conditions and his in-service exposure to herbicide agents or service-connected dermatitis.

The Veteran's claim for COPD and restrictive lung disease is being remanded due to incomplete development. The issue of service connection for chronic cough will also be remanded as the VA medical records related to this condition are not in the claims file.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service event, injury or disease and the weight of the evidence is against a finding that his current condition is related to service.,The Veteran's low back condition, heart condition, diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder) are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's diabetic sensory peripheral neuropathy (PN) of the lower extremities is currently rated at 40 percent each for the right and left legs. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to lack of marked muscular atrophy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left foot compression neuropathy are related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been submitted. The Veteran's heart conditions, diabetes mellitus type II, and lower extremity neuropathies are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability has been granted. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus, but the claims for hearing loss, headache disability, COPD, eye disability, prostate disability, erectile dysfunction, skin disability, stomach disability, arthritis, bilateral foot disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded for further development.

The appeals for separate ratings for peripheral neuropathy and initial rating for diabetic nephropathy are dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, these claims are still pending as further medical opinion is needed regarding whether the condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the lymph nodes, varicose veins, peripheral neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, and vascular disability of the left leg are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his in-service exposure to chemical and biological weapons.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The issues include heart disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, kidney disability, urinary disability, right leg muscle disability, esophageal/gastrointestinal disability, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right ankle scar.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the knees and ankles have been granted. The claim for asbestosis has been denied.,Service connection is now established for CHF.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and opinion regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy of each lower extremity, as the evidence is not persuasive enough to grant this claim.