Thyroid disorder decisions — 2015

The Board finds that the Veteran's non-malignant thyroid nodular disease is not related to his service, including his in-service exposure to ionizing radiation. Therefore, the claim for service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypothyroidism is related to service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypothyroidism did not exist at the time of his first period of active duty service from July 1969 to June 1971 and was not incurred during a period of ACDUTRA prior to November 2001. The Board also noted that it is unclear whether the Veteran's periods of service from 2001 to 2011 were active duty or ACDUTRA, but they are construed as active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause resulted in the inability to obtain evidence favorable to his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a thyroid disability, but denied the remaining issues of right shoulder, left arm and shoulder, and knee disabilities due to lack of clear and unmistakable evidence that these conditions were not incurred in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted. The thyroid disability is found to be at least as likely as not due to immunizations received during military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify his National Guard service and obtain updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a thyroid disorder is considered abandoned.,Brain disease, diagnosed primarily as leukodystrophy, was not found to be related to service and the appeal is denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including headaches, sinus or allergic disorder, thyroid disorder, back disorder, upper-gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, and dermatologic disorder of the feet. The decision did not find a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypothyroidism is at least as likely as not caused by his in-service sarcoidosis, and thus service connection for a thyroid disorder is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for hypothyroidism, to reopen his headache disability claim, and for service connection for radial nerve impairment of the left upper extremity and mitral insufficiency.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for hyperthyroidism remains under consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and a thyroid disorder due to in-service exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's claims are now fully resolved.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon, and assigned a 10 percent disability rating effective December 4, 2007.

The appellant does not have spina bifida, which is the only birth defect that warrants compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805 for a child born with birth defects as the child of a Vietnam veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic seizure disorder, hypothyroidism, right and left knee chondromalacia, do not render her unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as a nurse.

The Veteran's appeal involves a request for an increased disability rating for her service-connected hypothyroidism with multiple migratory polyarthralgias, and whether she should receive a separate rating for the polyarthralgias. The case is being remanded to obtain updated VA medical records and schedule the Veteran for a new examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome or any other fatigue-related disorder. The service connection claims for Castleman's disease, thyroid disorder, and diabetes mellitus are granted as these conditions are found to be due to his service-connected obesity.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypothyroidism was granted, with a current rating of 60 percent effective April 30, 2009. The other service connection claims were denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hemorrhoids, arthritis of the hands and cervical spine and side-effects of medicine (formerly claimed as osteopathic conditions and side-effects of medicine), diverticulitis, herniated esophagus, bilateral cataracts, presbyopia, and thin spots in the retina, hepatitis, umbilical and groin hernias, impotence, allergies, neurological bladder disease, edema of the lower extremities, residuals of a head injury, sexually transmitted disease, residuals of a throat trauma, hypothyroidism, memory loss, benign prostatic hypertrophy. The Veteran's currently diagnosed bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified are etiologically related to his military service.