Thyroid disorder decisions — 2023

The Veteran's sinusitis is presumed to be causally related to presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War. The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, but remanded for further development on other issues.

The Board denied service connection for hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service and insufficient evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism and imbalance issues, including vertigo and peripheral neuropathy, are granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and thyroid nodules, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure or in-service events that would support these claims.

The Board has denied service connection for a thyroid disorder due to the presumption of soundness being rebutted. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding bilateral leg muscle cramps.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim of a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected hypothyroidism status post thyroidectomy, and thus remands the case.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Thailand, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The appellant's in-service exposure to herbicide agents is suspected but not verified. A TERA examination will be scheduled if verification of exposure occurs.

The Board has remanded multiple issues related to service connection and rating for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, migraine headaches, left shoulder disability, back disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and traumatic brain injury. The appeal is also remanded for VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions as they are related to a deceased appellant.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inextricably intertwined issues and inadequate opinions. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, left knee condition, and right knee condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or service connection.,Specifically, the Veteran's lumbar spine condition was rated at 20 percent, which is the minimum compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5243 (pertaining to IVDS). Her right lower extremity radiculopathy was also rated at 20 percent. The Board denied service connection for hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for thyroid cancer and cervical spine degenerative arthritis, bulging discs, status-post surgical residuals due to incomplete records and insufficient nexus opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and thyroid condition due to exposure at Camp LeJeune. The VA examinations were inadequate as they did not substantially comply with the Board's directives.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, atrial fibrillation, bilateral plantar fasciitis, PTSD, and hypothyroidism have all been denied.,There is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions in the record.

The Board denied service connection for hyperthyroidism and remanded the claims of service connection for Barrett's esophagus and a heart condition.,Service connection is sought for Barrett's esophagus, which has been conceded. The available evidence does not suggest an association between the condition and the Veteran's herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied service connection for thyroid nodules, finding that they are not secondary to the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and are not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and hypothyroidism have been dismissed as the issues are no longer pending in the Legacy appeal system due to previous grants of service connection.

The Veteran's back disability, manifested by a compression fracture of T11-T12 and L1 vertebrae, was rated at 10 percent prior to November 20, 2013, and at 20 percent thereafter. The Board found the evidence against higher ratings due to lack of forward flexion or ankylosis.,The Veteran's hypothyroidism required continuous medication but did not meet criteria for a higher rating as it did not manifest cold intolerance, muscular weakness, cardiovascular involvement (including, but not limited to hypotension, bradycardia, and pericardial effusion), or mental disturbance (including, but not limited to dementia, slowing of thought and depression).