Thyroid disorder decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service connection claims for a colon condition and throat conditions (other than tracheal lesions status post tracheostomy) are denied. The Board finds the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions had onset in or are otherwise related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination to determine if the Veteran's current conditions are related to her service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to Gulf War Undiagnosed Illness for hypothyroidism, hypertension, a respiratory disability, and hematuria. The appeal is based on new evidence submitted after the previous SSOC.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for thyroid, bowel, and bladder disabilities to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypothyroidism, sinusitis, and chondromalacia of the right knee are being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, skin cancer, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid cancer due to insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for prostate, hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's eye disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including panic disorder without agoraphobia), prostate cancer, chronic autoimmune urticaria/angioedema, and hypothyroidism (claimed as thyroid cancer) due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,The Board also denied service connection for hearing loss.

The appeal on the issue of service connection for peripheral vascular disease, variously claimed as due to exposure to microwaves is dismissed.,The appeal on the issue of service connection for blood clots, variously claimed as due to exposure to microwaves is dismissed.,The appeal on the issue of service connection for thyroid disability (hyperthyroidism), variously claimed as due to exposure to microwaves is dismissed.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism has been rated at 60 percent disabling, but no higher, for the entire period on appeal. The criteria for a total rating are not met due to lack of cold intolerance, cardiovascular involvement, bradycardia, or sleepiness.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

Service connection is granted for a left knee disability, right knee disability, and back disability. Service connection is denied for hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, varicose veins, and blood clots of the lower extremities.,The Veteran's service treatment records indicate an in-service left knee injury. A private medical opinion diagnosed a current left knee disability and opined that it was related to the in-service injury. The July 2017 VA examination indicated no relationship between the left knee disability and service, but this is not considered as the August 2022 private medical opinion is more persuasive.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, coronary artery disease, and hypothyroidism) precluded him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, and papillary thyroid cancer on the basis of exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Guam. The Veteran's lay testimony regarding his exposure is considered credible, and a medical opinion supports the link between these conditions and Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus, type II. The issues of entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hemorrhoids and entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea are remanded.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his service-connected hyperthyroidism is being remanded due to the lack of a Graves' disease examination report in the claims file.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, thyroid disorder, and bilateral eye disorders due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,Service connection was not granted as there is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's thyroid disorder is being remanded for further clarification of the June 2022 VA opinion regarding service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Hashimoto's thyroiditis was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his request.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to active service.

Service connection for hypothyroidism is granted. The claim for service connection for a facial muscular and nerve disorder (claimed as facial muscle twitch) remains denied, but the Veteran's claim of new and material evidence to reopen this issue has been granted. Service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is remanded.