Sinusitis decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, chronic sinusitis with headaches, residuals of a cyst on the forehead, recurrent strain/sprain of L5, and residuals of a right ankle sprain. The remaining claims are pending as they have not yet been issued a Statement of the Case.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for special monthly pension by reason of being permanently housebound due to lack of substantial confinement to her home or immediate premises by permanent disability.

The Board has denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking the emphysema to military service or the veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for left maxillary sinusitis, maintaining the current 30 percent evaluation.

The veteran's service-connected right knee disability, chronic headaches, and chronic sinusitis are rated at 10 percent each. The rating for mitral valve prolapse is also 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of an oral fistula and deterioration of the jawbone. However, it has reopened and found a well-grounded claim for service connection for maxillary sinusitis.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for sinusitis and bronchitis as they are not well-grounded based on lack of competent medical evidence showing current disabilities.

The VA determined that the veteran's sinusitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as there are no objective clinical findings indicating significant impairment.

The veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected sinusitis, and the Board finds that there is no persuasive medical evidence linking the veteran's death due to COPD to any other event of his active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a rash and sinusitis, as well as his requests for higher evaluations for left and right elbow disabilities and hearing loss disability in the left ear. The appeal was dismissed due to an inadequate substantive appeal.

The Board has denied a higher rating for the veteran's rhinitis and sinusitis or allergic rhinosinusitis, initially assigned a 10 percent evaluation, effective from April 1990.

The veteran's claim for service connection for allergies, including allergic rhinitis and tinea versicolor, is granted.,Service connection is also granted for the right knee disability (chondromalacia patella). However, a higher rating of more than zero percent is denied.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an ENT specialist examination.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, low back disorder, sialadenitis due to an undiagnosed illness, and a body rash due to an undiagnosed illness. The veteran's residuals of a fractured left mandible and right angle of the jaw were evaluated at 20 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a sinus disorder was not well-grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking any claimed sinus disorder to his period of active service or any incident therein, including his service-connected nasal deformity disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and for increased initial evaluations of his low back, left thumb, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board found no competent medical evidence to support the veteran's claims of current sinusitis and bronchitis related to service, thus denying both claims.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of October 1, 1991 is granted as the correct date of receipt of his reopened claim was April 25, 1991.

The veteran's post-surgical scars of the face are moderately disfiguring and warrant a 10 percent disability evaluation. The initial rating for his service-connected residuals of sinusotomy with chronic sinusitis remains at 10 percent.