The Veteran's digestive system disability, including hepatitis with possible early cirrhosis and history of leukocytoclistic vasculitis with polyarthralgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, pancreatitis, cholelithiasis (gallstones), and cholecystectomy, is rated at 60 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's digestive system disability most nearly approximates frequent attacks of abdominal pain, loss of normal body weight, and other findings showing continuing pancreatic insufficiency between acute attacks, warranting a 60 percent rating under DC 7347 for frequently recurrent disabling attacks of abdominal pain with few pain-free intermissions and with steatorrhea, malabsorption, diarrhea, and severe malnutrition.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis, Gallstones, Pancreatitis, Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- September 29, 2011
- Citation
- 1136691
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 1136691.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hematemesis, hyperekplexia (hyperlexia), bleeding esophagus, erectile dysfunction, gallstones, hepatomegaly and hepatic steatosis, pancreatitis, and sleep apnea due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran's mental health issues are related to service, but the claims for these conditions will be remanded for a new VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's upper gastrointestinal disorder, diagnosed as hypertensive gastropathy, is granted secondary to residuals of service-connected infectious hepatitis (B). The issues of gallstones and hepatitis C are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for insomnia, fatigue, gallstones, varicose veins, anemia, colitis, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his alcohol-related causes of death were etiologically linked to a service-connected disability.
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