Thyroid disorder decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a palpable thyroid disorder. The effective date for PTSD service connection is set at May 20, 2013.,Service connection was established for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome based on evidence showing symptoms in-service and currently diagnosed with the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for thyroid cancer and multiple myeloma, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not caused by his in-service exposure to toxic chemicals. The issues of chronic hoarseness and monoclonal gammopathy have been remanded due to unclear diagnosis.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations for the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The case will be remanded to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder, claimed as thyroid cancer, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether his PTSD caused or aggravated his Graves' disease.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and TDIU, but denied his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The case is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to military service or aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's right elbow epicondylitis was found to have begun during service and is therefore granted service connection. The other issues are not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining ship logs or other relevant records to verify exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and whether it is secondary to his service-connected hypothyroidism.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, hypothyroidism, and vascular system disabilities. The claims are pending.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not service-connected, and the Board finds that there is no causal relationship between his current thyroid cancer or esophageal disability and his military service. The left shoulder disability remains undiagnosed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU beginning December 1, 2016, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension and hypothyroidism are being remanded for additional examination to determine if they are related to service, specifically Agent Orange exposure. The case will also be reviewed to determine if diabetes mellitus has aggravated these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for hypothyroidism and entitlement to a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and hypothyroidism are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic pharyngitis, erectile dysfunction, allergic conjunctivitis, back disability, headaches, left shoulder and elbow disabilities, enlarged heart with chest pain and abnormal EKG, hypertension, gastrointestinal disability, and hyperthyroidism. The reasons were that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and the need for extraschedular consideration.

The Board found no current right knee disability and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, skin disabilities of the feet and hands, a heart murmur, bilateral hearing loss, high liver enzymes, anemia, and a penile deformity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records related to his SSDI application. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD and service connection for thyroid cancer are on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for the issues of higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for dental disorder for VA compensation purposes, bilateral eye disability (including cataracts and normal tension glaucoma), kidney disability (including kidney stones), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The appeals are all denied as not supported by evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.