Thyroid disorder decisions — 2017

The Veteran is precluded from substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches and hypothyroidism. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether he is entitled to TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The Appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for status post septoplasty with residual of tingling sensations inside nose is denied.,Service connection for thyroid disability and acquired psychiatric disability are both denied as the evidence does not relate these conditions to service.,The Veteran's current anxiety disorder has not been related to active service by competent medical evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's exposure to chemical contaminants from two Superfund sites at Barksdale AFB, during his active duty service, contributed to the development of thyroid cancer. After resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran, the Board grants service connection for thyroid cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including heart disability, thyroid disability, dementia, prostate disability, glaucoma, cervical spine disability, and Alzheimer's disease, did not have their onset during active service or for many years thereafter and are not otherwise causally related to his military service. Therefore, these claims of service connection are denied.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are at least as likely as not etiologically related to his active service. The Board finds that the evidence for and against the claim is at least in equipoise, and therefore, entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's thyroid cancer, including exposure to herbicide agents and other substances during service.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's thyroid cancer relates to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for thyroid cancer.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD due to MST, GERD, hyperthyroidism, and muscle spasm of the right shoulder. The new evidence received since the final denial supports these claims.

The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for hypothyroidism, temporal lobe epilepsy, hypertension, and an eye disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for back disability, but denied for thyroid cancer, acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to March 12, 2009.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated as 20 percent disabling, and his hyperthyroidism is rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a retrospective examination and determination of eligibility for an extraschedular rating. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in her service-connected UTIs and hypothyroidism are pending.

The Veteran's medical conditions do not meet the criteria for SMP benefits based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not present in service or within a year of discharge, and are not otherwise etiologically related to service. The Board denied the claims for diabetes mellitus, parathyroid abnormality, kidney stones, elevated calcium levels, hypertension, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and hypersensitivity to light as they were not shown to be due to herbicide exposure or any other basis.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypothyroidism, basal cell carcinoma (malignant tumor), osteoporosis, and fatty liver disease were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents or other chemicals during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating for hypothyroidism with cold intolerance, hair and skin changes, fatigue, and major depressive disorder has been remanded due to the need for further development of her medical records and examination opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection is being considered for various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, colon polyps, a heart condition, prostate cancer, hypothyroidism, and an inguinal hernia.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to address whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a thyroid disability, including thyroid cancer. The Veteran contends that her current thyroid disability was aggravated by exposure to chemicals during basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama.