The Board has determined that the appellant's specific condition of occipital encephalocele, Chiari II malformation, hydrocephalus, and cervical syringomyelia falls within the spectrum of spina bifida. As her mother served in Vietnam, she is entitled to a monetary allowance under 38 U.S.C.A., Chapter 18.
The deciding factor: All medical experts agreed that the appellant's specific condition (occipital encephalocele, Chiari II malformation, hydrocephalus, and cervical syringomyelia) falls within the spectrum of spina bifida.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, occipital encephalocele, Chiari II malformation, hydrocephalus, cervical syringomyelia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2004
- Citation
- 0411145
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,710 · Granted: 15% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0411145.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
- Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant benefits.
- Denied
The Veteran's service in Vietnam did not qualify the Appellant for benefits due to spina bifida or other covered birth defects, as her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, his mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant the claim.
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