The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for an ear disorder, including bilateral otitis media and left ear cholesteatoma. The evidence submitted since the last denial is considered new and material as it relates to a fact necessary to substantiate the claim - that the Veteran currently suffers from these conditions.
The deciding factor: The newly submitted evidence includes the Veteran's testimony during his October 2017 Travel Board hearing, which indicates he has had symptoms of an ear disorder since service. This raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral otitis media, bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction, left ear cholesteatoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18100550
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 18100550.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for left and right ear cholesteatoma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction and an increased rating of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis. The claim for chronic sinusitis is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of October 10, 2013 for the addition of the Veteran's spouse as his dependent to his award of VA disability compensation. The issue of whether the debt in the amount of $19,696.58 was properly created and is valid remains pending and will be remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for deviated nasal septum is remanded due to inadequate medical examination.
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