Thyroid disorder decisions — 2007

The Board found that the veteran's current thyroid disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, and hypothyroidism. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or any other service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C and thyroid disorder are not related to his military service, including any possible exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a thyroid disorder that required a partial thyroidectomy, which he claims was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the thyroid disorder is related to the diabetes.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypothyroidism, esophagitis, and hemorrhoids.,Specifically, the Board found that the veteran's conditions do not warrant higher than the currently assigned disability ratings.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition, neck condition, right ring finger condition, and hypothyroidism due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the veteran's claims of service connection due to radiation exposure, asbestos exposure, and other conditions. The case is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's thyroid cancer, diagnosed after service, is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a neck mass and pain in his hands and feet, finding no evidence of a causal link to service or herbicide exposure. The claim for hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia was previously denied as laboratory findings without an associated disease process.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, post-operative residuals of surgery for strabismus, thrombocytopenia, and thyroid disorder have all been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The veteran's hepatitis C has also been rated at 30% since October 1, 2000.

The veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his cervical spine disability, the veteran met the criteria for an initial 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2005, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. However, he did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,The right shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his service-connected hypothyroidism, the veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 15, 2002, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. The veteran's ankle disorder was not found to be incurred during active service.,The veteran failed to submit a substantive appeal regarding his claim for increased ratings on headaches.

The Board denied service connection for anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as secondary to the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and his active service.

The veteran's appeal involves increased evaluations for his service-connected histiocytosis, hypothyroidism, and vasculitis. The case is REMANDED to the RO for further development including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and there is no evidence of record showing that any of his claimed disabilities are related to military service or exposure to ionizing radiation. As such, service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for pyelonephritis and Graves disease with hypothyroidism, finding that her symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for higher disability ratings under VA rating criteria.,VA determined that the veteran's conditions are currently rated at 20 percent for pyelonephritis and 30 percent for Graves disease with hypothyroidism.

The veteran withdrew his appeal in its entirety prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer and thyroid cancer, attributing these conditions to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The preponderance of medical evidence did not link these cancers to his military service or to his presumed exposure.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of thyroid cancer, status post-thyroidectomy is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding potential radiation exposure during service.

The veteran's claim for a fever of undetermined origin, residuals of a head injury, and hypothyroidism was denied as there is no medical evidence supporting these conditions. The veteran's claim for Hodgkin's disease due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam was also denied.,No new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for Hodgkin's disease.