The Veteran's current eye disorders, including cataracts and presumed ocular histoplasmosis, may be related to his active service. However, a VA examination is needed to determine the exact nature of these conditions and their relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The examiner must provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current eye disorders are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- refractive error of the left eye, cataracts, presumed ocular histoplasmosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2018
- Citation
- 1800383
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 1800383.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cataracts, finding that there was no medical evidence linking the condition to his active service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded to ensure that the appellant receives every possible consideration, including a new VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection for hypertension was granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand, while the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, chronic sinusitis, and other conditions were denied or remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left eye disorder, including amblyopia and other conditions, as there was no evidence of aggravation beyond their natural progression during the Veteran's periods of active duty.
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