The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current bilateral hand and wrist disorder, a current disorder manifested by left rib pain, or residual scarring secondary to an infected epidermal occlusion cyst of the left axilla and surgery on the left upper back for excision of an epidermal occlusion cyst. Therefore, service connection is denied for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show current diagnoses or manifestations of the claimed disorders during active service or within one year thereafter.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hand and Wrist Disorder, Left Rib Pain, Recurrent Cysts of the Shoulder and Cellulitis Left Axillae
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2003
- Citation
- 0305192
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0305192.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
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