Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete STRs and issues related to service connection for glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as a TDIU claim. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea and rheumatoid arthritis are pending.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hammertoes, bilateral pes planus (flat foot), rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected stomach disability, and the Board has granted a higher rating of 60 percent for his stomach disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for medical opinions regarding the Veteran's current joint disability, rheumatoid arthritis, musculoskeletal lupus, discoid lupus, lupus squamous, or scars.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her pituitary tumor, sarcoidosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his rheumatoid arthritis, do not meet the minimal schedular criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability prior to October 3, 2013. However, as of that date, he is entitled to such a rating.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and his right and left foot plantar fasciitis are not etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's right hand Dupuytren's contracture is not etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. His left hand Dupuytren's contracture also does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes, hypertension, sarcoidosis, a lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis. The Board found no evidence that these conditions began during or were caused by his active service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable colon syndrome and granted it. The joint disability claim is denied, but the Veteran can still seek reopening of this claim with new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims are granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a heart disorder, and other conditions. The appeal is based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current extent and severity of his service-connected back disability, including radiculopathy of the lower extremities. Additional discussion regarding flare-ups and functional loss during flares is also required.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the left costosternal junction was granted, with a 60 percent disability rating effective from October 26, 2010. The appeal for TDIU remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous instructions and needs additional development, including obtaining service treatment records for active duty from May 1975 to August 1975, verifying dates of National Guard ACDUTRA service, and obtaining a supplemental VA opinion regarding the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in the dismissal of his claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a fracture of the right first metacarpal and rheumatoid arthritis of the right hand. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for an epididymal cyst has been granted. Service connection is also established for hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left ankle disability. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disability was remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disability of the left wrist and fingers, to include rheumatoid arthritis or reflex sympathetic dystrophy, is being remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case will be returned to the AOJ for initial consideration.