The Board has determined that the veteran's current leg/ankle disability, characterized as varicosities of the bilateral lower extremities and cellulitis of the left ankle, is not related to his service. The claim for service connection is denied.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions were provided by VA examiners who concluded that there was no medical nexus between the veteran's current leg/ankle disability and his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- varicosities of the bilateral lower extremities, cellulitis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0401615
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,196 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0401615.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cellulitis of the left and right ankles, as well as for a left foot condition and a right foot condition due to inadequate VA medical opinions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Board videoconference hearing at the RO in Nashville, TN. The case will be readjudicated after this.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's current varicosities of the bilateral lower extremities and cellulitis of the left ankle are related to his active military service, resolving all doubt in favor of the veteran.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities involving a neck strain, plantar warts, cellulitis of the left ankle, or residuals of a crush injury to the left hand. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.