Thyroid disorder decisions — 2012

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's lung disorder, heart disorder, hypertension, liver disorder (including hepatitis), and thyroid disorder, all presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found no current throat disorder and denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The appellant's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on February 15, 2009, at the emergency room of Tulane University Hospital and Clinic were covered due to the presence of a serious threat to his health from a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the claimed conditions, including as secondary to radiation exposure. The Veteran's claims are supported by medical evidence and his own statements.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for special adapted housing and equipment, which has been granted. The claim for a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a thyroid disability and an initial compensable rating for tension-type headaches, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, thyroid disorder, and prostate cancer were denied. The claim for diabetes mellitus was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that a remand is needed to provide the Veteran with VA examination in order to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his thyroid cancer, status post thyroidectomy. The case will be returned for further adjudication.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including clarification of the examination report and consideration of all evidence of record.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that cellulitis, stroke with left hemiparesis and multi infarct dementia, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypothyroidism were not present in service or related to service. The Board also found that the Veteran's service-connected stomach disorder (chronic enteritis) did not contribute to his death.

The Board found that thyroid disease, hyperthyroidism, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and could not be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypothyroidism is a result of disease or injury incurred during active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has remanded the case due to issues related to the timeliness of a substantive appeal for service connection claims secondary to diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again by the RO, and any additional development required will be undertaken.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus, did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from aortic stenosis.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right knee disorder and finds that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The evidence supports this finding, including VA treatment records indicating degenerative changes in the right knee.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to lack of timely filing of a notice of disagreement for the denial of service connection for degenerative disc disease. The Veteran's claims for other conditions were denied as they are not compensable under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including acid reflux, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, kidney disease, thyroid disorder, gout, and lower back/shoulder disabilities, were denied as these conditions are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have hypothyroidism and there is no evidence of it during her appeal period. The VA examiners consistently stated that she did not have hypothyroidism, nor did she have any other thyroid condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected thyroid nodule does not result in any current residual disability and therefore, an initial compensable rating is denied.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds no evidence to warrant a higher rating based on additional manifestations not shown by the current medical records.