Thyroid disorder decisions — 2013

The Veteran's multinodular goiter with a prominent nodule is not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred or aggravated during service, and there is no evidence linking the condition to radiation exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a thyroid disorder during service or for many years following service, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for thyroid disease and skin cancer are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records, clarify the timing of his diagnoses, and prepare a dose estimate based on his reported radiation exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to assess his hearing loss, thyroid cancer, and hypertension.

The Veteran's hyperparathyroidism, which is not associated with his gastrointestinal symptoms and weakness, does not warrant a higher initial rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for autoimmune disease, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease during or within one year after service and that the conditions were not related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's case is being remanded due to her failure to report for a scheduled Board hearing. The RO will verify the Veteran's current address and schedule her for a new hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her thyroid condition, scleroderma, and left ankle arthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's parathyroid adenoma is related to his service, including elevated serum calcium levels and kidney stones during service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The secondary service connection claims for chronic liver disease, hypothyroidism, anemia, and chronic fatigue with stress, depression, anxiety, and poor immune response are also granted.

The Veteran's hip and gallbladder conditions were not found to warrant initial compensable evaluations. The thyroid condition, acromegaly, and seasonal allergic rhinitis have been granted service connection.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease, cervical spine; hypothyroidism; and epilepsy. The Veteran's PTSD claim remains pending.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for thyroid cancer, to include vocal cord paralysis, as secondary to herbicide exposure during service. The Board dismisses the appeal.

The evidence is in relative equipoise on whether the Veteran's hypothyroidism is causally or etiologically related to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus (DM). Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's osteoporosis is found to have been subject to a superimposed disease (hypothyroidism) during active service, and thus granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues on appeal are related to initial ratings for hypothyroidism, osteoporosis/osteopenia, and anemia.

The Veteran's Grave's disease with iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism, and hypokalemia has been rated at 10 percent for the entire rating period on appeal. The Board finds that a higher disability rating of 60 percent is warranted due to marked neuromuscular excitability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his thyroid disability with depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right shoulder disability, left shoulder osteopenia, and hypothyroidism were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including pituitary adenoma and its secondary effects. The appeal is currently remanded to obtain additional medical records and complete the necessary development.