Thyroid disorder decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, CLL, and thyroid cancer residuals due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is granted an initial 20 percent rating, while other conditions remain at their current ratings.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded several issues for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for PTSD, thyroid condition, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of breast reduction surgery, and service connection for morphea scleroderma due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims for bladder cancer, thyroid disorder, and osteoporosis due to exposure to herbicide agents and/or radiation. The case will be referred to the Under Secretary for Health for a dose estimate based on available methodologies.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further development, including VA examinations and records review.

The Board denied service connection for hypothyroidism, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and the Veteran's military service, including any potential radiation exposure.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypothyroidism, finding that it pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, right eye pseudophakia with retinal tear and vitreous hemorrhage, and left eye cataracts are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including congestive heart failure with shortness of breath and atrial fibrillation, thyroid disability, cataracts, colonic diverticulitis, bladder disability, and ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not meet the criteria for establishing entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete information regarding the appellant's exposure to radiation and his post-service occupation, which may affect the determination of service connection for thyroid cancer.

The Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism is rated at a 60 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the grant of service connection (February 6, 2010). The decision grants this higher rating based on symptoms including mental disturbance, weight gain, and occasional cold intolerance.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hand disability (arthritis), bilateral knee disorder, heart disorder, hypertension, gall bladder removal residuals, thyroid condition, diabetes mellitus, and acquired psychiatric disorders. The claims are pending on appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to herbicide exposure, as well as secondary service connection for COPD with bronchitis causing coronary artery disease. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's exposure at Eglin AFB and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of chronic sinusitis and increased evaluation for hypothyroidism residuals, finding that the earliest dates of claim were May 8, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss disability has been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for cancer of the trachea and thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure, as well as service connection for sleep apnea and depression.

The Board has remanded the claims for esophageal cancer, lung cancer, gallbladder cancer, thyroid disability (including thyroid cancer), and diabetes mellitus type II due to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation and toxic chemicals. Additional development is needed including obtaining medical opinions on etiology.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's thyroiditis is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for thyroiditis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder, to include as due to in-service exposure to Agent Orange, has been reopened. The Board finds that further development is needed to determine the etiology of his skin disorder and thyroid disorder.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected type II diabetes mellitus remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received, but the issues remain under consideration.