Thyroid disorder Board decisions

The Board has decided that a remand is needed for another VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroid condition.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided to the Veteran are inadequate and remands several issues for further development, including a new examination for hypothyroidism and cardiac arrhythmia. The claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, hypoglycemic seizures, lumbar strain, left knee disability, right knee disability, mitral valve prolapse, and sleep apnea are also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected anemia, normochromic and normocytic has been withdrawn. The issue of service connection for a thyroid disorder is remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claimed thyroid, GERD, and throat disabilities have not been shown to be related to service or any undiagnosed illness. The Board found that the conditions are not attributable to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an examination and for clarification regarding whether the Veteran's thyroid enlargement is a congenital disease or defect, and if it preexisted service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and thyroid disability due to service or service-connected kidney disability. The Veteran's current thyroid condition is not related to his service-connected kidney disability, while his cognitive symptoms are intertwined with diagnosed depression.

The Board has granted service connection for thyroid cancer and lung cancer, finding that the current diagnoses are related to herbicide agent exposure during service. The decision is based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism, including thyroidmegaly and mild thyroid nodules, is rated at 60 percent for the period beginning December 15, 2014 to June 7, 2018.,Secondary service connection was granted for a depressive disorder secondary to her service-connected hypothyroidism.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) from November 11, 2019. The TDIU was also granted prior to that date on an extra-schedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for left knee iliotibial band syndrome, thyroid condition, bilateral hearing loss disability, sleep apnea, and spine disability have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant failed to submit a completed VA Form 21-4142, which would have authorized VA to obtain terminal medical records necessary to adjudicate the claim of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death. The evidence was insufficient to determine whether a service-connected disability was singly or with some other condition the immediate or underlying cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder to include Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during her active duty service or continuous since service. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the condition was related to service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for lumbosacral strain and hypothyroidism were denied as her conditions did not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% evaluation for malignant neoplasm of the thyroid is denied. The Board finds that it was factually ascertainable that she had a malignant neoplasm as of December 8, 2014, but no earlier.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, has been reopened. The Board also remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypothyroidism, a rating in excess of 20 percent for a back disability, a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee disability, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial 10% rating for service-connected residuals of thyroid cancer is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to lack of ankylosis or marked limitation of motion.,For her pes planus and chronic constipation claims, additional evidence is needed as VA examinations are required.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding earlier effective date for PTSD, service connection for thyroid condition and skin conditions, and TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for soft tissue sarcoma, schwannoma of the right leg, and benign adenomatous nodule of the left thyroid based on herbicide exposure due to a lack of current diagnosis or medical records diagnosing these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, primary open-angle glaucoma, and sleep apnea. The issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and a thyroid disability are also remanded due to lack of medical nexus opinions. The TDIU issue remains inextricably intertwined with these other issues.