Tuberculosis decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis or any other injury or disease during service. The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD and emphysema has been withdrawn. The Board is dismissing the appeals as to these issues.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tuberculosis (TB) of the spine, which he contends began during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address this claim.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current respiratory disability is related to his active service, including asbestos exposure. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis, an initial compensable rating for residuals of a nasal injury, and basic eligibility for non-service-connected disability pension benefits. The issues were characterized as stated on the title page.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is the result of in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also granted as it meets the criteria for direct service connection due to noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis, which did not have onset during active guerrilla service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within three years of his separation from verified guerrilla service.,VA has not provided evidence that the Veteran received VA treatment prior to his death. The appellant submitted a discharge report dated April 2, 1979, from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Diliman, Quezon City, which is a unit of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and not a VA facility.

The Board has determined that there is no legal entitlement to an effective date earlier than July 9, 2009 for the assignment of a 30 percent disability evaluation for inactive pulmonary tuberculosis with residuals of restrictive lung disease.

The Veteran's service-connected surgical scars associated with pulmonary tuberculosis are painful and warrant a 10 percent evaluation throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's latent tuberculosis disability is related to his active service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis class I and chronic sinusitis, finding no current diagnoses of these conditions.,Service connection was granted for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, rheumatic heart disease, rheumatic fever, and inactive tuberculosis pleurisy with residual restrictive lung disease, resulted in a combined rating of 80 percent. The Board found that the criteria for a TDIU were met effective May 21, 2010.

The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn by the appellant. The RO granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint arthritis, and thus the issue of entitlement to a right knee disability is no longer in appellate status.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sarcoidosis with pulmonary fibrosis, claiming it as a respiratory disability. The decision is based on the merits of the case and does not involve any presumption or exposure basis.

The Veteran's COPD is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it is secondary to his service-connected inactive pulmonary tuberculosis. His rating for the tuberculosis is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to tuberculosis, hepatitis C, or hepatitis A and B. The positive PPD test is considered a laboratory finding rather than a compensable disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's inactive tuberculosis is not related to service, including any in-service respiratory symptoms or inoculations. The claim for service connection for tuberculosis is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tuberculosis residuals and his increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, but granted a separate 10% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, far advanced, is rated at a minimum of 30 percent due to the presence of far advanced lesions while the disease process was active. The rating does not exceed this as his condition has been inactive since treatment and there have been no recurrences.