The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for a headache disorder. The claim of entitlement to service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus, claimed as related to exposure to herbicide agents, will be addressed in the Remand section.
The deciding factor: There is no current evidence of a headache disorder and the appellant's squamous cell carcinoma is not on the list of diseases presumptively associated with Agent Orange exposure. The claim for service connection based on direct causation will be considered in the remand process.
- Claimed conditions
- Headache disorder, Squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2003
- Citation
- 0331062
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 0331062.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle disability and headache disorder secondary to PTSD with alcohol use disorder have been granted increased ratings, effective September 16, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's headache disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headache disorder, and stroke residuals are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ needs to determine if the Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during his honorable period of active service from March 1982 to September 1985 and obtain VA examinations for hypertension, stroke residuals, and headaches.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's headache disorder, finding that it is at least as likely as not secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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