Thyroid disorder decisions — 2023

Graves' Disease, Hyperthyroidism, and Thyroid Disorder are denied as not related to service.,Left Ear Hearing Loss is denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or relationship to service.,Allergic Rhinitis (Sinusitis) requires further examination for a determination on its relation to service.,Right Ankle Deltoid Ligament Sprain and Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain are remanded as the etiology is unclear.,Left Ankle Deltoid Ligament Sprain and Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain are also remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including rating higher than 20 percent for low back disability, cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and cystic acne; service connection for thyroid disability secondary to cystic acne; and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and providing a medical opinion on the secondary service connection claim.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, kidney disorder, heart disability, respiratory disability, thyroid disability, paralyzed right diaphragm, left toe fungus, and right toe fungus were denied as they are not related to service.,There was no evidence of herbicide exposure or asbestos exposure in the Veteran's service records.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for an endocrinologist's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's thyroid disorder. The Veteran contends that her current hypothyroidism is related to service, but VA medical opinions have not adequately addressed this claim.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition and whether he has experienced certain symptoms such as cold intolerance, muscular weakness, cardiovascular involvement, and mental disturbance.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism and the residuals of a pituitary gland tumor, including diabetes insipidus, hypogonadism, adrenal insufficiency, and osteopenia, are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability. The cases of hypertension and thyroid disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU due to insufficient medical evidence and failure of the Veteran to respond to VA requests.

Your service connection for hypothyroidism has been granted, making this issue moot.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claims for hypothyroidism and a jaw condition due to insufficient development in the initial decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including whether they are related to his service in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War and exposure to burn pits.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding increased ratings for several conditions, including hypothyroid, hoarseness, sense of taste, dysphagia, and xerostomia. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has denied service connection for a thyroid condition due to lack of evidence showing its onset in service or related to any incident therein, including exposure to ionizing radiation.,The Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to insufficient rationale provided by the November 2022 VA examiner regarding the Veteran's episodes of hypoglycemia documented in his STRs.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's thyroid cancer is not service connected as it did not originate in service or until years after service and is not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for a left hip condition is granted. The claims of service connection for gait, lameness (secondary to sacroiliac joint dysfunction), and right knee condition are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right wrist, left wrist, kidney, and thyroid conditions as the evidence did not support a finding that these disabilities were caused by or incurred in service.,Service records do not show any diagnosis of wrist conditions during active duty. The Veteran's current diagnoses are attributed to natural aging processes and post-service occupational duties.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and whether any service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. The VA is instructed to obtain a new opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for migraines and service connection for hyperthyroidism was denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for migraines prior to August 10, 2020, or a higher than 50 percent rating thereafter. Service connection for hyperthyroidism was also denied.