Thyroid disorder decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate cancer and papillary thyroid carcinoma due to a lack of medical opinion addressing potential service connection based on exposure to lead, benzene, and PCBs.

The Veteran's CAD, lumbar spine disability, and hypothyroidism are all rated at their maximum allowable levels. The Veteran does not have a compensable rating for GERD with hiatal hernia or left ear hearing loss.,VA has determined that the Veteran's conditions do not warrant ratings in excess of those currently assigned.

The Board has decided to remand all claims for further examination and etiology opinions due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory conditions, larynx condition, thyroid nodules, liver or spleen calcifications, and anxiety secondary to his respiratory conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including nicotine dependency, thyroid disorder, kidney disorder, GERD, diabetes mellitus, type II, hepatitis C and its residuals, peripheral artery disease, high blood pressure, COPD, multiple myeloma, chronic anemia, coronary arteriosclerosis disease, erectile dysfunction, and back disorder. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for residuals of thyroid cancer is also granted. The issue of peripheral neuropathy remains remanded.

Service connection for hypothyroidism is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for hypertension, related to in-service herbicide exposure, is remanded.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for various conditions, including cardiovascular issues, neuropsychological symptoms, CFS or CFIDS, fibromyalgia, CMV and EBV, hypothyroidism, mycoplasma, headaches, pituitary dysfunction, deficiencies in hormones, hypercoagulation state, respiratory problems, and menstrual disorders. The Board found that none of these conditions were related to service.,The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection due to CFS or CFIDS were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including heart disability, bilateral cataracts, hypothyroidism, hypertension, sleep apnea, and PVD of the lower extremities, are not related to his military service or exposure to non-ionizing radiation. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during his service.

The Veteran's thyroid disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the symptoms provided.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder is granted as it is presumed due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.,Service connection for the thyroid disorder is denied because there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's MDD was found to be rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum rating available for this condition.,Service connection for hyperthyroidism was granted as secondary to her service-connected major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during service, specifically Agent Orange. The Board found that the evidence supports a finding of presumptive service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current thyroid disorder, diagnosed as iatrogenic hypothyroidism and status-post Graves' disease, is related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder (claimed as thyromegaly) because there is no current disability at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypothyroidism is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for heart disorder remains denied as there is no established link between the condition and service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral leg and foot conditions, liver condition, pancreas condition, spleen condition, skin cancer, and thyroid condition. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient efforts in obtaining the Veteran's Reserve records. The AOJ is required to request a complete copy of these records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for medullary thyroid cancer, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.