The Board finds that the Veteran's DISH syndrome of the cervical spine and left hip, as well as his esophagus problems, are not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's DISH syndrome or esophageal issues are causally linked to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides in Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hypertosis (DISH syndrome) of the cervical spine, Left hip, Esophagus problems
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2013
- Citation
- 1330969
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 1330969.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right hip disability, including as secondary to left hip, has been dismissed due to his withdrawal.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 2, 1974, for the award of service connection for both the left and right hips.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The VA is instructed to obtain additional evidence and schedule the Veteran for examinations to provide a more definitive opinion on whether his current disabilities are related to service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral shoulder, right hip, left hip, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to a withdrawal by the Veteran's representative in June 2021.
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