The Veteran died from gastrointestinal bleeding due to esophageal varices as a consequence of post-necrotic cirrhosis. The Board has ordered remand for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether exposure to Agent Orange in service contributed materially to the cause of death.
The deciding factor: An appropriate health care provider will be requested to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's death was caused or aggravated by service, to include by exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal varices, post-necrotic cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2011
- Citation
- 1119884
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 1119884.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and its secondary effects on other conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus type II, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and splenomegaly.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension, lupus, esophageal varices status post ligation, and kidney stones and urinary tract infection are all found to be related to her service-connected Hepatitis C. The Board has determined that further development is needed for the remaining issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for liver cancer, diabetes mellitus, esophageal varices, and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver. The appeal for cirrhosis of the liver was dismissed due to a full and complete grant of benefits. Service connection for GERD and a gastrointestinal disorder was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatic steatosis and esophageal varices to obtain a medical opinion from an examiner well-versed in Camp Lejeune contaminated water matters.
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