Thyroid disorder decisions — 2011

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hyperthyroidism, a respiratory disability, and kidney dysfunction.

The Board has granted service connection for soft tissue sarcoma, a skin disorder (chloracne), and hypothyroidism due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Veteran's claims are supported by his service records showing chronic skin disorders during service and current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the accrued benefits claims for papillary squamous cell carcinoma, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, right ankle disability, thyroid disability, PTSD, and depression to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current throat disorder and denied his claim for service connection, concluding that any symptoms he currently experiences are related to post-service conditions.

The Veteran's death was caused by dissecting aortic aneurysm and peripheral vascular disease, but the service connection for these conditions is denied due to lack of evidence linking them to his military service. The Agent Orange exposure claim is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for low back pain, bilateral knee disability, and thyroid disease. The claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct link to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for hyperthyroidism, and thus grants this aspect of the Veteran's appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination. The case will be reconsidered based on the updated evidence.

The Veteran's current hypertension, heart disease, thyroid cancer, and residuals of thyroidectomy are not related to his service. The Board finds that the claim for these conditions must be denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, sleep disturbances, headaches, hyperlipidemia/hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, and Epstein-Barr virus are denied as the evidence does not support a finding of a current disability due to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid (claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure). The effective dates are set at October 24, 2007. Service connection is granted for tinnitus but not for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss or papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides or other chemicals during service, and whether his current conditions are related to such exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a thyroid disorder and bilateral knee disorder, finding no evidence of such disorders during or within one year after service. The Veteran did not provide credible evidence to support his assertions of continuity of symptoms.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a gynecological disorder, respiratory disorder, and tiredness and enlarged thyroid. The claim for major depressive disorder is granted as it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The earlier effective date claims were also denied.

The Veteran's residuals of a total thyroidectomy due to papillary carcinoma are currently rated at 60 percent since March 1, 2005. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond this level.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses related to a gastric bypass surgery performed in October 2000 is granted, as the surgery was deemed necessary due to a medical emergency and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess her current thyroid condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a statement of the case on his hypertension and hypothyroidism secondary to type II diabetes mellitus, as well as his postoperative residuals of prostate cancer and type II diabetes mellitus.