Thyroid disorder decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for service connection for stage IVA papillary thyroid cancer and kidney disease with dialysis were denied as there was no evidence of radiation exposure during service, and the diseases are not considered presumptively related to such exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism and sleep apnea, as well as his left hip and knee disabilities due to lack of compliance with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is presumed to be service-connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hearing loss was dismissed. Service connection was granted for diabetes mellitus, a bilateral eye disability (diabetic retinopathy and loss of vision), PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, thyroid disorder, and sleep disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for hypothyroidism is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, sleep disorder (presumably sleep apnea), peripheral vascular disease, right leg cellulitis, hypothyroidism, and migraine headaches are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his service records. The VA will attempt to obtain any missing STRs and provide opinions on whether these conditions are secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for Graves' disease with hypothyroidism and eye residuals due to complications of his service-connected condition. The issues include seeking a higher rating for both conditions, which are currently rated at 10 percent and 20 percent respectively.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for leukemia, cataracts, and thyroid disorder due to concerns raised by a joint motion for remand (JMR3). The appeal is now pending again with another VA medical opinion needed.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation and failed attempts to obtain relevant records from December 1992 to July 2013, including a September 2009 rating decision. The Veteran's legal name was not correctly identified in the request for documents.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and clarification regarding whether hypoparathyroidism is part of the presumptive conditions associated with toxic herbicide exposure. The Veteran's thyroid disorder will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if it is related to service, including exposure to toxic herbicides.

The Veteran's medical conditions, when considered together, result in her inability to care for her daily personal needs without regular assistance from others and an inability to protect herself from the hazards of her daily environment. The Board has determined that she meets the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and tinnitus. The claim for thyroid disorder was not addressed in this decision.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for tongue cancer, bilateral hearing loss, thyroid disorder, and dysphagia as these conditions are not related to the Veteran's military service. The primary disability of tongue cancer was found not to be related to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis. The appeals concerning the other conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension (HTN), and hypothyroidism were dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted. Other claims are being remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypothyroidism can be adjudicated. The case is remanded to obtain VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of hyperthyroidism, including its relationship to in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for hypothyroidism is remanded due to the need for another VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and attempting to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicides. The claims are being remanded due to a lack of proper development in previous decisions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypothyroidism, which is presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure during his Vietnam service, has been granted based on recent legislation that added hypothyroidism to the list of diseases associated with herbicide agent exposure.