The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that the Veteran's panic disorder, diagnosed in 1964, was not related to his military service. The claim for skin cancer was also denied as there is no confirmed link between the Veteran's exposure to smoke bombs during service and his current condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not find a causal nexus between the Veteran's panic disorder and his military service due to the lack of documented treatment in-service or shortly after discharge. For skin cancer, the absence of any documentation linking the Veteran's exposure to smoke bombs during service to his current condition was noted.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)), Skin Cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2009
- Citation
- 0935929
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 0935929.
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: Denied
The Veteran's ESRD is denied as not related to service, including herbicide agent exposure. The skin cancer of the right ear remains under remand for further evaluation.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several disabilities, including left thumb, left wrist, right hip, back, and sciatic nerve conditions, but denied service connection for diabetes mellitus.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension was denied, and the issue of service connection for skin cancer is remanded.,The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on his blood pressure readings.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and skin cancer due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA will need to provide an adequate medical opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service, particularly considering the Veteran's weight gain and potential herbicide exposure.
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