The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disorder manifested by reduced white blood cell count, to include leukopenia, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disorder of the mediastinal lymph nodes, best characterized as multiple small shotty mediastinal lymph nodes, is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis throughout the body and lung disability are remanded due to outstanding private treatment records not being obtained.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis throughout the body and lung disability are remanded due to outstanding private treatment records not being obtained.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing a causal or resultant disability due to leukopenia or reduced white blood cell count, and leukopenia is not a disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran has not been shown to have a causal or resultant disability due to his multiple small shotty mediastinal lymph nodes or as due to tactical herbicide exposure. The gap between separation from service and the earliest clinical evidence of an issue considered to be evidence that weighs against his claim.,There is no competent, credible clinical evidence of record linking arthritis throughout the body to in-service exposure to tactical herbicides.,There is no competent, credible clinical evidence of record linking lung disability to in-service exposure to tactical herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- reduced white blood cell count, disorder of the mediastinal lymph nodes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18102699
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 18102699.
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.
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- Dismissed
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- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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