Tuberculosis Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected chronic inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection for cause of death. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is also denied as there is no evidence showing that the Veteran's death was due to a condition related to his service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and TB claims are denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities meeting VA criteria.,Right knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) was established during service, with the Veteran having a diagnosis in service and ongoing symptoms post-service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Alaska Native Medical Center and providing an addendum decision regarding the Veteran's cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed conditions. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that any current disability is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTB of the left upper lung was denied as there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition pre-existed his active duty service.,For the period from February 19, 2013 to February [REDACTED], 2017, the Veteran's claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance of his spouse was denied as he did not have a service-connected disability. The issue is moot since the spouse has died.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and examinations to determine the current level of impairment with regard to his service-connected residuals of pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculosis of the colon with resection.

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The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD and emphysema has been withdrawn.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.