Tuberculosis decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision. The Board finds that he does not have any current residual of tuberculosis exposure and therefore, his claim for residuals of tuberculosis exposure is denied.

The Veteran's latent tuberculosis is found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's inactive pulmonary tuberculosis with left fibrothorax is currently rated at 30 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's tuberculosis of the right occipital lobe and visual field defect are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a medical examination to determine their etiology.

The service-connected amputation of the left ring finger, through the proximal phalanx, contributed to the Veteran's death due to a chronic infection that developed and progressed over time.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or pulmonary tuberculosis in service. The Board also denied his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to lack of qualifying active service during a period of war.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no reasonable basis for holding that his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for additional medical examination. The appeal is pending further action.

The Board found that the Veteran's lung carcinoma with pulmonary tuberculosis was properly rated at 10 percent since September 1, 2009, as residuals of disability following the expiration of a temporary 100% rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected respiratory disability. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected inactive pulmonary tuberculosis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation.

The Board granted service connection for a respiratory disorder to include tuberculosis and asbestosis, but denied reopening of the previously denied claim for hepatitis C. The Veteran's respiratory disorder is found to be related to events during service, including exposure to tuberculosis. Service connection was not established for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not receive any VA compensation or pension benefits at the time of his death. The appellant's application for non-service connected burial benefits is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have active tuberculosis and therefore, service connection for tuberculosis is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and degenerative arthritis due to a lack of evidence showing continuity of symptoms since active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The issues of depression, nerve damage, liver condition, tuberculosis, and scars of the right eye, neck, and head were not pursued further as the appellant withdrew these claims.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 30 percent for residuals of PTB was denied. The evidence did not show that the condition warranted a higher rating.,A new and material evidence claim for sinus disability has been granted, but no specific rating or service connection decision is made.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of pulmonary tuberculosis, varicose veins of the left and right lower extremities were denied as there is no evidence of active tuberculosis or significant varicosity that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the appeal to obtain a new opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially to his death, specifically pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Veteran's death was caused by cardio respiratory arrest with the antecedent cause being status post cerebrovascular accident. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA pulmonologist with a medical opinion regarding whether his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis contributed to his death.