Thyroid disorder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's thyroid cancer, including exposure to herbicide agents and other substances during service.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's thyroid cancer relates to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for thyroid cancer.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD due to MST, GERD, hyperthyroidism, and muscle spasm of the right shoulder. The new evidence received since the final denial supports these claims.

The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for hypothyroidism, temporal lobe epilepsy, hypertension, and an eye disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for back disability, but denied for thyroid cancer, acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to March 12, 2009.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated as 20 percent disabling, and his hyperthyroidism is rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a retrospective examination and determination of eligibility for an extraschedular rating. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in her service-connected UTIs and hypothyroidism are pending.

The Veteran's medical conditions do not meet the criteria for SMP benefits based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not present in service or within a year of discharge, and are not otherwise etiologically related to service. The Board denied the claims for diabetes mellitus, parathyroid abnormality, kidney stones, elevated calcium levels, hypertension, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and hypersensitivity to light as they were not shown to be due to herbicide exposure or any other basis.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypothyroidism, basal cell carcinoma (malignant tumor), osteoporosis, and fatty liver disease were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents or other chemicals during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating for hypothyroidism with cold intolerance, hair and skin changes, fatigue, and major depressive disorder has been remanded due to the need for further development of her medical records and examination opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection is being considered for various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, colon polyps, a heart condition, prostate cancer, hypothyroidism, and an inguinal hernia.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to address whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a thyroid disability, including thyroid cancer. The Veteran contends that her current thyroid disability was aggravated by exposure to chemicals during basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

The Veteran's death was not determined to be due to a service-connected disability, including those presumed due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection of lower extremity paralysis, hypothyroidism, blindness and cataracts. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, neck disability, and low back disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the requirements for service connection for his hyperthyroidism, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The evidence is insufficient to provide an examination for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C but denied service connection for a thyroid disorder, finding that the current thyroid condition is not etiologically related to active service and was not caused by or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a parathyroid disorder as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.