The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed chronic otitis externa of both ears did not have its onset in service or is otherwise related to an event during active military service. The VA examiner found it more likely than not that the current bilateral otitis externa is not due to or related in any way to one episode of treatment for otitis externa treatment noted February 2, 1968 while on active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's first post-service treatment for otitis externa occurred more than 20 years after service separation and there is no credible evidence of chronicity of the disease entity since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Otitis Externa
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2012
- Citation
- 1233324
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 1233324.
What this means for you
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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 determined that the Veteran's claims for PTSD, otitis externa and perforated tympanic membrane, hearing loss, and tinnitus need to be remanded due to inadequate examination reports and lack of consideration of all relevant evidence.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and otitis externa were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is assigned for each condition.
- Denied
The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition related to the Veteran's ear infections during service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and otitis externa disabilities do not warrant a compensable rating under VA regulations, thus denying his claims for increased ratings.
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