Sinusitis decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's reported stressors and current diagnoses, as well as incomplete treatment records. The Veteran will need to provide additional information about his medical history and treatment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for sinusitis and bronchitis are pending. His PTSD claim is reopened but the merits of his service connection claim remain unresolved due to lack of verified in-service stressors.

The Board found that the Veteran's current thoracic spine and low back disorder was not incurred during active service, and his sinusitis was not shown to be related to service. The appeal for inguinal adenitis has been withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records from Fort Campbell Hospital in Kentucky. The appellant's claims for service connection for sinusitis and atherosclerotic heart disease with hypertension are pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to an increased rating for any condition.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bladder condition, rhinosinusitis, and residuals of basal dysentery as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's headaches are already considered in his service-connected sinusitis rating, so a separate rating for headaches is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for flat feet disability based on aggravation during active duty. The Veteran's sinusitis, respiratory infection (claimed as viral flu, Kuwait crud, and chronic cough), fatigue, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are all found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The RO found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for her right tibia disability, as there was no evidence of malunion or incapacitating episodes of sinusitis. Regarding asthma, the VA examination results raised doubt about its current existence but did not link it to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee chondromalacia, although not explicitly diagnosed in service, is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The claims for hair loss and sinusitis were denied as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of chronic sinusitis, and the Veteran's left forearm shrapnel wound residuals did not meet criteria for a higher rating prior to June 27, 2008 or from that date forward. The right buttock cyst removal scar and left foot wart removal scars were not shown to be disabling enough to warrant compensable ratings. The lumbosacral spine disability was found to not warrant an increased rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostatitis, ulcers, stomatitis, eye infections, mouth disorder/laryngitis, body odor, diverticulosis, sinusitis, and chloracne, all of which are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his Vietnam-era service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a non-VA hospital on January 27, 2006 is denied as he does not meet the criteria for payment under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis was denied as the evidence did not show more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his bilateral maxillary sinusitis was granted, and he is currently rated at 30 percent. The condition has been present for over a decade with recent surgery in 1978.

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The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the claims of service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinus tachycardia, and chronic indigestion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the relationship between his current sinusitis and asthma diagnoses and his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant a compensable rating or service connection, and thus the appeal is denied.