The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a brain cyst as there was no evidence of a brain cyst in service or within a reasonable time thereafter, and no competent medical evidence linking the current condition to service.
The deciding factor: The lack of evidence showing the presence of a brain cyst during service or shortly after discharge, combined with the absence of any competent medical opinion establishing a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service, led to the denial of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- brain cyst
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0904492
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 0904492.
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: Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart condition, hypertension, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, brain cyst, and psychiatric disorder, all of which were found to be unrelated to his military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including heart condition, hypertension, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disability, and brain cyst. The claims are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence to support these claims.
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.