The Veteran's bilateral pinguecula and dry eyes were found to primarily manifest as eye dryness with intermittent visual difficulty, without any indication of disfigurement. The claim for a compensable initial disability rating was denied. For the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board found insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's conditions and her military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not find any evidence of disfigurement in the bilateral pinguecula condition, which is required for a compensable rating. For the psychiatric claim, the examiner opined that there was no clear or continuous relationship to service based on the lack of specific combat experience and the absence of documented stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pinguecula with Dry Eyes, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1757673
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 1757673.
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: Granted
The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Board also found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his combat experiences in Vietnam.
- 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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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