The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, claimed as dry eye, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Veteran's current eye disorder is not related to his service and the evidence does not support a causal link between his exposure to contaminants in the water supply and his condition.
The deciding factor: The VA physician’s opinion concluded that the health effects linked to the Camp Lejeune toxins did not include myokymia, dry eyes, or related conditions. The Veteran's eye disorder was attributed by a treating specialist to seasonal and localized allergic irritation (i.e., allergens in his immediate post-service surroundings).
- Claimed conditions
- dry eye, myokymia of the bilateral upper and lower eyelids
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18102000
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 18102000.
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).
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for the service-connected eye condition other than hypertensive retinopathy, to include dry eye and cataracts is being remanded due to a failure to obtain VA examinations referenced in a November 2024 opinion.
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The Board remands the claim for service connection for eye disabilities, to include retinopathy, bilateral nuclear cataracts, bilateral dermatochalasis, dry eye, and pinguecula, as the prior VA medical opinion regarding aggravation was found to be conclusory and lacked necessary medical reasoning.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a left eye condition, including primary open angle glaucoma and optic nerve atrophy, to obtain private medical records from Dr. Laquis.
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