The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for right neck mass and left thyroid disorder with cystic mass, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his presumed exposure to herbicides in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded it is much less likely than not that the Veteran's thyroid disorders are related to exposure to Agent Orange or jet fuel during service.
- Claimed conditions
- right neck mass, left thyroid disorder with cystic mass
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2017
- Citation
- 1707985
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1707985.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Dismissed
Service connection has been withdrawn or dismissed for several conditions. Service connection is granted for depression and anxiety disorder, with a 40% disability rating for diabetes mellitus.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need to verify his service in Vietnam and determine if he had regular and repeated contact with C-123 aircraft, which could potentially qualify him for presumptive service connection under VA regulations. If verified, a VA examiner will be asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any of the claimed disabilities manifested due to exposure to herbicides or jet fuel during active military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
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