Thyroid disorder decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, fibromyalgia, bilateral elbow disability, fatigue, hypertension, incontinence, thyroid disease, and migraines. Service connection was granted for menstrual issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at private hospitals in Jacksonville, Florida on May 4, 2015 and June 8, 2015 due to lack of emergency treatment. The Board found that the need for treatment was not emergent.

The Board has remanded the severance of service connection for various conditions, including Lyme disease and related anemia, knee issues, and thyroid cancer. The appeal is inextricably intertwined with the severance of service connection for status post exposure to Lyme disease.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and denied an increased rating for the Veteran's thyroid disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for prostate cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, thyroid cancer, and diabetes mellitus type II due to herbicide exposure. The claims are remanded as new evidence does not establish herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sarcoidosis, ulcerative colitis, a kidney condition, and a thyroid condition. The reasons provided include lack of medical nexus between the conditions and service, as well as failure to meet presumptive service connection criteria.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and restored the Veteran's disability rating for thyroid cancer to 60 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

Service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease has been granted. The Board also remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions secondary to thyroid cancer.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, and a psychiatric disorder due to insufficient development of evidence. The appellant's service records must be reviewed, and he must be examined by VA to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of her condition.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes, a heart disorder, prostate cancer, hypertension, hypothyroidism (claimed as obesity), and cataracts due to lack of in-service herbicide agent exposure and failure to establish a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides and service connection determinations.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea, a cervical spine disability, and thyroid cancer. The decision also restored the 50% rating for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for thyroid cancer, loss of feeling in right shoulder, and loss of feeling in left shoulder. The claims were based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, but the medical opinions found no link between these conditions and the Veteran's time in service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability is denied. The Board found no evidence linking the current condition to active service and concluded that his symptoms are not related to any incident during service. For the left shoulder, a 30% rating effective March 8, 2013, was granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left eye disability, Sjogren’s syndrome, and thyroid disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on exposure to toluene, radiation, or environmental factors during her military service.

The Board denied service connection for thyroid cancer and epilepsy (seizure disorder) as there was no evidence of an in-service event or occurrence that could have caused the conditions, and the pre-existing conditions were not aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, chronic sinusitis, and thyroid disorder/Hashimoto's disease were denied. The claim for PTSD was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection was also denied for chronic sinusitis as there is no evidence that the condition began during or soon after military service. Thyroid disorder/Hashimoto's disease was found to be current but without a link to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and rating for hypothyroidism, pituitary gland disability, and TBI residuals. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.