Thyroid disorder decisions — 2005

The Board found no evidence of radiation exposure during service and denied the veteran's claims for skin cancer, hypothyroidism, and leg rash as not incurred in or related to service.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected hypothyroidism is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of mental disorder in the evaluation process.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting thyroid disorder existed prior to service and did not become aggravated during service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids and abdominal scar were denied. The veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism, constipation, fatigue, and headaches are currently rated at 10%, 20%, and 10% respectively.,Service connection for nausea, vomiting, and gastric reflux was severed due to a finding of excessive alcohol consumption as the cause of symptoms.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder, including non-malignant fibroid nodules, follicular adenoma, mutinodular goiter, and residuals of a thyroidectomy, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding her exposure to ionizing radiation in Germany following the Chernobyl disaster.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of surgery to remove an adematous goiter from the left lower thyroid, but granted service connection for PTSD. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue and denies another.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for increased evaluations of his residuals of vagotomy and thyroidectomy are denied as there is no evidence showing severe impairment of health or significant weight loss, which would warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's thyroid disorder and osteoarthritis are not related to her service-connected anemia and/or cardiac arrhythmia, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran was not entitled to service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including residuals of gonorrhea, kidney disease, Peyronie's disease, hypothyroidism, and a psychiatric disability (bipolar disorder), for purposes of accrued benefits.

The Board has determined that the effective date for service connection of Hodgkin's disease and iatrogenic hypothyroidism should be set at February 22, 2001.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting pituitary disorder manifested by hypogonadism, hypothyroidism/thyroiditis, and growth hormone deficiency was not aggravated by his active duty service. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and the need for additional Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing VA examination reports and treatment records.

The veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to August 22, 2000 for a 60 percent rating for subtotal thyroidectomy residuals with hypothyroidism has been withdrawn.

The veteran's claim for service connection for thyroid disease was denied. His claims for increased evaluations of his bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, thyroid disease, cataracts, skin cancer, arthritis, and dermatitis. The effective dates for these decisions were not established as they are typically based on when entitlement arose or when a claim was received.

The Board found that the veteran's thyroid cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hypothyroidism, claimed as due to ionizing radiation exposure. The evidence provided by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) indicated no in-service exposure to ionizing radiation or any relationship between current hypothyroidism and such exposure.

The VA denied an increased rating for service-connected hypothyroidism and total thyroidectomy, as the evidence did not show significant weight gain or other symptoms that would warrant a higher rating.