The Board found that the veteran's death from myelodysplastic syndrome was not caused by any service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of exposure to hazardous chemicals such as benzene during his naval service. The preponderance of the persuasive medical evidence supports this conclusion.
The deciding factor: The VA physician reviewed the claims folder including post-service medical records and found no causal link between the veteran's myelodysplastic syndrome and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- myelodysplastic syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2007
- Citation
- 0725510
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 0725510.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood cancer, leukemia, eye disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome, and thrombocytopenia due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service. The case is remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's red cell aplasia and myelodysplastic syndrome were not found to be related to service, specifically exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board determined that the presumptive service connection for contaminated water exposure did not apply due to insufficient time spent at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is attributed to myelodysplastic syndrome, which the Board finds was not service-connected. The claim will be remanded for further investigation into whether exposure to herbicide agents during service caused or aggravated these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a blood/bone marrow disorder, including myelodysplastic syndrome, leukopenia, and neutropenia, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board acknowledges that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam.
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