Thyroid disorder decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid condition, attributing it to burn pit exposure during his deployment in Afghanistan. The VA examiner found no link between the Veteran's current hyperthyroidism and his service or burn pit exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation of the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the SMC loss of use claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depressive disorder). The remaining issues are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The issues of diabetes mellitus, type II; thyroid cancer, status post thyroidectomy; bowel disorder; intestinal condition; arthritis of the back; arthritis of the left foot; arthritis of the right foot; bone spurs of the right foot; and bone spurs of the left foot are remanded for further development.

The claim for service connection for left great toe ingrown toenail has been reopened and granted. The claims for general osteoarthritis, low back spina bifida, right hip disability, right hip shorter than left leg, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, left foot arthritis, chronic congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, thyroid disability, edema, and skin irritation have all been denied.

The Veteran's pituitary disability is remanded for further evaluation, and her secondary psychiatric disability and TDIU claims are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed chronic fatigue syndrome and her reported fatigue symptoms. The case will be reviewed again after additional examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on all issues related to tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disability, and renal disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The reduction in the rating assigned for hypothyroidism, degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder with rotator cuff tear, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine were granted. TDIU based on service-connected disabilities other than hypothyroidism was granted effective from February 23, 2015 to September 19, 2019, and special monthly compensation based on housebound status was granted effective February 23, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations. The issues of hypertension and diabetes mellitus are also being remanded.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions, including cancer of the tonsils (claimed as throat cancer), hypothyroidism, residuals of mandible reconstruction, left arm disability, and a disability manifested by lack of energy and stamina, due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and lack of a proper nexus opinion regarding the appellant's thyroid disability. Further development is needed to determine if her symptoms during service are related to her current condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of thyroid cancer and kidney cancer, finding no evidence linking the cancers to active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for hyperlipidemia, migraine headaches, hypothyroidism (claimed as a thyroid disability), hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD due to potential issues with evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

Service connection for back disability is granted.,Service connection for neck disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are denied. Service connection for neuropathy affecting the right lower extremity and left lower extremity is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular disease, erectile dysfunction, and ulcerative colitis as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after active service. The Veteran's reported exposures to herbicides were not verified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his left knee, right knee, left ankle, sleep disturbances (including sleep apnea), left shoulder osteoarthritis, PTSD, and hypothyroidism. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to in-service parachute jumps or undiagnosed illnesses/chronic multisymptom illnesses, as well as considering the impact of obesity caused by service-connected disabilities on his current symptoms.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating will be remanded so that addendum opinions can address the issues raised by the Board.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a result of the PACT Act.,The Veteran's thyroid condition (claimed as a thyroid tumor) is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus, to include as due to claimed left ear hearing loss and/or Meniere's disease, is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's Meniere's disease is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.