The Veteran's non-malignant schwannoma, a benign tumor of the spinal cord, is found to be related to his military service and service connection is granted.
The deciding factor: A VA physician linked the Veteran's benign schwannoma to his demonstrated Agent Orange exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- status post T-2-3-4 laminectomy and resection of intraspinal tumor (non-malignant schwannoma), benign schwannoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1543523
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 1543523.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's benign schwannoma and its relation to his service, specifically his in-service herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for benign schwannoma and hypertension, both presumed to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Service connection was also granted for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities with initial evaluations of 10 percent prior to January 4, 2005, which were increased to 30 percent effective January 4, 2005.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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