Thyroid disorder decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism and increased the evaluation of hypertension with heart murmur to 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism and alopecia totalis with brittle nails due to undiagnosed illness, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of polycystic ovary disease, ovarian cyst, right breast cyst, colon cyst or polyp, eye cyst, thyroid cyst, parathyroid adenoma, left hip cyst, or left groin cyst in service.,No medical professional linked any of these conditions to the veteran's periods of military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further consideration by the RO, including a review of the claims file and materials submitted at the September 2004 hearing. The appellant's claim will be reconsidered based on all evidence of record.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that they are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney/bladder disorder, asbestosis, and thyroid disease. The denial is based on a lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and she has withdrawn her appeals on the remaining service connection issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her hypothyroidism, finding that her psychiatric disability was a manifestation of her service-connected hypothyroidism and thus not separately ratable.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to consider new evidence and ensure compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have residuals of hernia repair or hypothyroidism related to his active service.

The veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic cancer of the thoracic spine, which originated from thyroid cancer. Prostate cancer is not considered a service-connected condition as it did not recur after treatment and had low PSA levels.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum from a VA physician. The issues of entitlement to higher initial ratings for hypothyroidism and chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spondylolisthesis are pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between any current disabilities and his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing. The issues are related to reopening claims of service connection and seeking service connection for various conditions.

The VA denied an increased rating for postoperative residuals of thyroid carcinoma, currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to identify and evaluate residuals of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including any new medical conditions he claims are related to the NHL or its treatment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, finding that it was not proximately due to or the result of his residuals of thyroidectomy, hypothyroidism, and hypoparathyroidism. The Board concluded that the veteran's heart disease was more likely related to routine causes such as family history, tobacco use, being male and aging.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during his service, which could potentially grant him service connection for his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's appeal was timely filed for his claim of an increased rating for hypothyroidism, but not for service connection claims. The decision also granted a 30% evaluation for hypothyroidism effective from June 2002.