Thyroid disorder decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) and remanded other issues related to the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's azotemia is aggravated by his service-connected hypothyroidism and rhabdomyolysis. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thyroid disorder, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, as the Veteran's private treatment records from before 2012 are needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vitiligo, hypothyroid disease, and erectile dysfunction are being remanded due to inadequate development of the record. The VA is instructed to verify the Veteran’s periods of active duty and foreign service, obtain his military personnel records, and ensure all outstanding VA treatment records are associated with the case.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a thyroid disorder is granted, and he is assigned an initial schedular rating of 100 percent for PTSD. The claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, neck disability, forehead scar, left hand scar, and forehead scar are denied.