Thyroid disorder decisions — 2005

The Board found no current migraine headaches, denied service connection for postoperative cancer of the left breast due to mild residual swelling and euthyroid status for hyperthyroidism.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, and hypogonadism.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for hypothyroidism prior to October 24, 1988 based on a final June 17, 1976 rating decision that found the condition preexisted service and was not aggravated.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently suffer from thyroid cancer and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including chronic back pain, left-sided weakness from a stroke, and PTSD, render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he is unemployable due to his conditions and grants a permanent and total rating for pension purposes.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for CLL and nonmalignant thyroid nodule disease, but denied the claim as there is no competent or objective medical evidence preponderating against a finding that the veteran has these conditions due to his period of active service.

The Board has ordered further development of the claim, including obtaining updated dose estimates from DTRA and seeking an opinion regarding whether the veteran's hypothyroidism is due to ionizing radiation exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's thyroid disability, including multinodular goiter, is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's service-connected residual scar from a thyroidectomy is evaluated at 10 percent, effective August 30, 2002.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a thyroid disorder and an organic mental disorder, were denied. The Board found that the veteran did not have current disabilities related to these conditions and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board denied service connection for thyroid cancer and colon cancer, both claimed as the result of ionizing radiation exposure. The cancers were not shown to have originated during active service or due to exposure in Japan.

The Board granted an effective date of December 23, 1999 for the grant of a 20 percent rating for service-connected low back condition. The veteran's claim for reopening his cervical spine disability was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure in 1997, finding no evidence of ionizing radiation exposure during service and noting that thyroid cancer did not manifest until many years after service. The appeal was dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service and is not otherwise related to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and compensable ratings for his service-connected pes planus, post-operative thyroidectomy, diverticulum of the right hypopharynx, and tinea pedis.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of subtotal colectomy for adenocarcinoma of the colon with a 20 percent disability rating, effective March 26, 2002. The veteran's claim for osteoporosis was denied and her request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the colon disability remains in appellate status.

The VA determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance due to his inability to perform basic activities of daily living without assistance.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for depression and menometrorrhagia were denied as the evidence did not show that either condition warranted a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypothyroidism was not incurred in or aggravated by service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for osteoporosis with arthritis degeneration of the spine, left hip and right hip repair as well as Hashimoto's thyroidism. The veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen these claims.