Thyroid disorder decisions — 2012

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and clarifying the etiology of the Veteran's thyroid disorder.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including ear, nose and throat disability, hypertension, thyroid disability, hypoglycemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes mellitus type II. The claims were denied as no new and material evidence was provided.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for thyroid cancer, which he claims is related to his exposure to herbicides while serving in Vietnam. The claim will be remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct further development.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active military service or periods of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thyroid disorder and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty service. The disabilities are considered to be related to a pre-existing condition, which was first diagnosed after he entered on Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and a thyroid disability have been denied as these conditions are not presumed to be related to his military service. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been granted.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (to include posttraumatic stress disorder) due to its presumptive relationship with his military service.

The Board has determined that the claims need further clarification regarding the Veteran's service dates and type of service. The claims are being remanded to obtain this information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal for his claims, and thus, the appeals are denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding elevated cholesterol, high triglycerides, and fatty liver as he withdrew these issues prior to a decision being made. The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus on a direct basis.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's death, as well as to ensure all pertinent records are obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current disability levels and their impact on employment.

The Veteran died from lung cancer, which was not related to his military service. The Board denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C., Chapter 35.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals, status post thyroid cancer and total laryngectomy and partial pharyngectomy with vocal prosthesis. The Board finds that further development is needed regarding the Veteran's allegation of herbicide exposure at Midway Island.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No decisions were made on the merits of any claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing and issuance of a Statement of the Case on issues regarding timely substantive appeals filed with regard to January 2008 rating decisions.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and correctly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including verification of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), as well as obtaining any outstanding medical records. The case is therefore being REMANDED.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thyroid nodular disease is not related to his active duty service, exposure to ionizing radiation or lewisite/ mustard gas. As a result, the claim for service connection for thyroid nodular disease is denied.

The Board denied service connection for parathyroid irregularities and colon polyps, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the appellant's service-connected hypothyroidism status post Graves' disease and eosinophilic enteritis.