Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2000

The Board found no evidence of a connection between the veteran's current conditions and his military service, thus denying all claims for service connection.

The Board dismissed the motion for revision of a previous decision due to an affirmation by the Court.

The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for lumbar sprain, but granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board found that the November 1988 RO rating decision denying an increased evaluation for rheumatoid arthritis of the sacroiliac joints, rated 20 percent, did not contain clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The veteran's appeal regarding his claim was denied.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed without prejudice as she requested reconsideration of her claims and wished to submit additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to medication used to treat service-connected rheumatoid arthritis is not well grounded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the veteran's cervical spine disability and right knee condition. The issue of entitlement to a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also raised by the record.

The Board has granted a 40 percent disability evaluation for rheumatoid arthritis of the wrists, hands, elbows, and knees. The veteran's left wrist disorder is rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and a psychiatric disorder is well-grounded. The appellant was provided with VA medical examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, and these claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts and COPD, all secondary to exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA Assistant Chief Medical Director found it unlikely that these conditions were related to the veteran's in-service exposure.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is not well-grounded and therefore denied. The claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35 is also denied as a matter of law.

The Board finds that there is not a reasonable possibility of valid claims concerning the veteran's claimed disabilities, including hypothyroidism, hemorrhoids, bilateral eye disability, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, asthma, low back disability, hypoglycemia, bilateral hand and ankle disabilities, gastrointestinal disability, acquired cognitive disorder, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and residuals of Epstein-Barr virus infection. These conditions are not shown to be related to service.

The VA denied an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome of the cervical spine, finding that his disability was manifested by limitation of motion and sensory impairment without evidence of severe neurologic symptoms or radiculopathy.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and polyarthralgia, as well as his request for an increased rating for tinea versicolor. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or aggravated by service.

The Board determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis is not well-grounded because there is no evidence of a chronic disability subject to service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic skin disorder (including psoriasis and fungus infection) and rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis, claiming these conditions were not incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for pityriasis rosea and denied the remaining claims.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the claim as there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the sacroiliac joint to his death from coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus.